The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has chosen to endorse the Wi-Fi-Media UWB (ultra-wideband) protocol for transfer of wireless data. The decision benefits consumer electronics makers who want to offer very fast wireless transmissions of movies from laptops to DVD players or from DVD players to TV sets. UWB chipmakers backed by venture capitalists (VCs) will also benefit, but FreeScale Semiconductors is sure to fall by the wayside, say analysts and industry leaders, since the company offers the proprietary UWB standard called direct sequence UWB (DS-UWB). The possible market shares of many venture-backed companies that promote UWB are likely to increase, and when the new products emerge in 2007, various devices will work together in a way similar to the inter-operation of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards currently, says Roberto Aiello of the WiMedia Alliance, which counts 178 companies among its members. UWB will permit large amounts of data to go about 100 feet at very low power, but building the UWB radio required is not simple and requires special engineering expertise. Among venture-backed startups that have begun testing products to be released later in 2006 and early in 2007 are Alereon and Wisair. In later iterations, DS-UWB-based chips could permit transmission of DVD players or digital pictures and sound to TV because Freescale continued development of its technology after the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) removed itself from the UWB battle at the end of January. Freescale could buy or license the agreed upon standard rather than trying to develop it unilaterally at this time, says an expert. However, says Martin Rofheart, director of UWB for Freescale, the Bluetooth decision does not impact Freescales version of UWB, which is already on the market and is currently replacing the USB wires that connect computers to such devices as cameras, cellphones, and printers.