# What sort of signal do firewire ports carry?



## Danny R (Jul 5, 2002)

In other topics, the need for firewire ports is being bandied about. My question is what are the advantages of such a port?

From what I can gather, they can carry the original digital signal allowing for exact copies to be made on D-VHS. So is Firewire the video equivalent of digital audio and tos-links? 

Is the digital audio signal carried on this port as well so that copies can be made with 5.1 surround preserved using just one cable, or is firewire just another video transfer method?

Is firewire ever used to transfer video in any other format, such as RGB or other analog?

I'm somewhat familiar with firewire as it relates to computers, but not as it relates to home theater. Is it the exact same, and the information transfered is totally dependent upon the devices that use it? Thanks for the education...


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## olgeezer (Dec 5, 2003)

Firewire is designed to carry data at very fast rates. It is most commonly used to transfer video and audio from DV camcorders to computers. I saw it used at CES a few years ago, by a speaker company that had designed the speaker wire to be 1394. In Digital TV its purpose is to allow for digital recording of a compressed signal. The devices that may have it could include, but not be restricted to Recorders, STBs, and TVs.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

For DVHS recording the firewire carries the video/audio signal in MPEG2 form. Firewire also has control functionality. Play record, pause rew, FF etc. 


Firewire as a standard may carry video in Native DV format as in the case of mini DV camcorders dumping content to your hard drive on a computer. The JVC DVHS VCR can convert the SD DV signal to MPEG2 for recording on DVHS as well.


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## Cheyenne (Apr 23, 2002)

IEEE 1394 is a multimedia connection that enables simple, low-cost, high-bandwidth isochronous (real-time) data interfacing between computers, peripherals and consumer electronics products such as camcorders, VCRs, printers, PCs, TVs and digital cameras. With IEEE 1394-compatible products and systems, users can transfer video or still images from a camera or camcorder to a printer, PC or television, with no image degradation. It's a standard used by many components in today's media asset management systems.

Apple Computer, which conceived the technology in 1986, calls it "Firewire." Sony calls it "i.LINK." But geeks call it by its official name, IEEE 1394. The IEEE (pronounced by insiders as "Eye-triple-E") stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a nonprofit, technical professional association that turned Apple's technology into an official standard in 1987.

With native IEEE 1394 support now in both the Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X operating systems, the technology has expanded to many professional applications, including nonlinear (digital) video presentation and editing, desktop and commercial publishing, document imaging, home multimedia, and personal computing. This year, Apple implemented a new, faster Firewire 800 technology especially suitable for professional A/V applications. It's officially the new IEEE 1394b standard.

The low overhead, high data rates of 1394, coupled with the ability to mix real-time and asynchronous data on a single connection, and the ability to mix low-speed and high-speed devices on the same network, provides a universal connection for almost any A/V device or peripheral application.

Products using the technology continue to come to market. For example, at the DV Expo in Los Angeles earlier this month, Sony showed how its i.LINK interface technology can bridge traditional audio and video production gear with networked environments. Sony showed several i.LINK-enabled products that can convert compatible audio and video equipment into IT-enabled devices. As a result, content can be created and then shared quickly and easily through multiple means.

The new Sony i.LINK products include the PFM series of professional LCD monitors and the new 80GB version of the Giga Vault hard-disk media device, with compatibility for both Macintosh and PC users.

For more information, visit [url]www.1394ta.org[/url].


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## Mike Richardson (Jun 12, 2003)

Cheyenne said:


> Apple Computer, which conceived the technology in 1986, calls it "Firewire."


1986? Apple was just introducing low speed SCSI ports back in 1986 which pale in comparison to Firewire.


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## Cheyenne (Apr 23, 2002)

Apple was developing the technology in 1986, then IEEE made it official in 1987.
Delivery to consumers could take years thereafter. Slapping a port on a computer is one thing, there has to be products available to plug in and cost effective chip sets established.


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