Aside from the price, the wires that connect a home audio surround system are often a major obstacle to entertainment bliss. Speaker wires running around and in some cases, across, a room can be unsightly. 

Santa Clara, Calif., based Radiient Technologies is trying to break the cord with its Roomcaster product, which transforms any surround system into wireless speaker system. 

“The aim is to make things simpler, to bring home theater to everybody,” said Jano Banks, the chief executive, president and co-founder of Radiient and the co-inventor of the High-Definition Multimedia Interface or HDMI, which is an audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. 

Back in 2004, Banks, a home entertainment buff, built an audio entertainment system in his house that, to say the least, was too complex for his family. The last straw was the blue painter's tape covering speaker wire across the carpet. That prompted Banks to develop the Roomcaster technology. 

“It gives people the freedom of wireless with no compromise,” said Banks. “Each speaker, headphones and all components can go wherever you want in a room. It’s the freedom to redecorate.” 

The system, which isn’t cheap, works on wideband technology which differs from the technology most wireless gadgets and home appliances like microwaves use. That means there’s no interference and because there is more bandwidth the audio can be sent uncompressed which will prevent degradation of the sound. 

For $1999, consumers get an adapter kit for up to six speakers and a transmitter that hooks to the source of the sound whether it’s your receiver or DVD player. Simply affix the adapters to the back of your speakers or on top of the speakers and get rid of the cables. The transmitter talks to the adapters, sending the audio to the speakers. The transmitter can send the sound roughly thirty feet. Eventually consumers will be able to buy multiple transmitters and adapters so that more devices in the entertainment system can be wireless. 

But with a hefty price tag and a bad economy, Banks acknowledges the Roomcaster will be for those that have to get their hands on new technology and a bridge to widespread adoption. 

“The $1999 (price tag) is perfect for the early adopter that wants to try things that are better than speaker wires,” said Banks. He noted that consumers pay anywhere from $100 for low end surround sound systems to upward of $100,000. 

The end goal for the product, said Banks, is to get the technology embedded into all sorts of electronic devices, which will ultimately drive the cost down. 

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, the industry’s largest trade show, Banks said the company will announce partnerships with electronic makers to embed the technology into the actual devices similar to what happened with HDMI. 

The best way to get it in everyone’s hands is for it to be embedded inside iPod docks, Blu-ray/DVD players, game consoles, set-top-boxers and audio/video receivers, said Banks. “The benefit of embedding it in those products is aesthetics and the costs savings.” That would mean consumers would buy the equipment and in minutes be able to set up the system.  

Banks wouldn’t name which electronics makers will announce they will use Roomcaster in their devices, but said several original equipment makers will be on hand to unveil products that will likely hit store shelves in time for next year’s holiday season. “There will be very exciting announcements at CES,” said the executive.