Investor's Business Daily
Blazing Bus Goes By The Name 'FireWire'
Date: 11/14/97
Author: Susan E. Fisher
The worlds of PCs and consumer electronics are converging. A key meeting
point will be a speedy connection technology called 1394.
The technology is known by the name of the standard that defines it
-Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standard 1394. It's
commonly known as FireWire, a registered trademark of Apple Computer
Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.
Whatever you call it, the technology is a data pathway, or bus, designed
to quickly and smoothly transfer audio and video data between personal
computers and digital devices. A cable is theoretically all you need to
connect two devices with 1394 sockets.
The potential lineup for devices with 1394 connections include digital
video cameras, digital video discs, videoconferencing gear, digital
VCRs, high-definition TVs, set-top boxes and high-quality printers.
Also, if 1394 moves into PC device bays, as some manufacturers hope, it
will allow individuals to remove and install high-performance drives
easily. Upgrading a drive now can be a difficult chore for even adroit
PC handyfolk.
Although it has a way to go to gain broad acceptance, 1394 is a
technology you will want to consider when planning purchases, industry
observers say.
''As the whole world moves to digital, the old interfaces don't work
anymore,'' said Jodie Hughes, a vice president of Sony Semiconductor
Company of America, a San Jose, Calif.- based unit of Sony Corp.
A current version of the standard allows for the transfer of digital
data at up to 400 megabits per second. But plans are in the works to
make 1394 capable of transfers of more than a gigabit per second. In
contrast, the transfer rate of the standard serial port, which is now a
common connector for modems, is 115 kilobits per second.
Eventually, the 1394 socket could join the slower, but less expensive,
universal serial bus port, as chief connectors in the back of the PC,
envisions David Fair, the manager of Intel Corp.'s 1394 program.
At the office, boosters say, the technology will make it easier for
professionals to create media-rich Web pages or business presentations.
At home, individuals will be able to control consumer electronics from
their PCs.
For example, with 1394 as a bridge, you can connect a digital video
camcorder directly to a PC. Then you can preview and edit video with
your PC.
Without such a connection, it's rather arduous to span the consumer
electronics and PC worlds. Quality is lost transferring data between
today's analog consumer devices and digital PCs.
The 1394 technology faces a number of hurdles, however. Basic silicon
and software building blocks to bring it to the PC are still in the
works. Also, before committing to it, some consumer electronics
manufacturers want ways to protect movies and music sent over 1394
connections from illegal copying. Standard-setting bodies are now
hammering out those means of protection.
Still, the technology is starting to appear in a new generation of
consumer electronics and some computer gear. A few digital video cameras
and some video editing systems feature 1394 ports.
A limited number of high-end PCs will include the technology by the end
of next year, projects Roger Kay, senior research analyst at
International Data Corp., a research firm in Framingham, Mass.
To link 1394 devices with your PC today, you'll need a special add-in
board, called a host adapter card. For now, these boards are most
readily available as part of a video editing system. The add-in cards
won't work with all PCs, though. Contact the manufacturer to see if they
will with yours.
Of course, the latest technology is rarely cheap. Sony's new DCR-PC7
digital camcorder with a 1394 interface, for instance, carries a list
price of $2,899. A 1394 PC add-in card that allows you to capture and
manipulate video from the camera costs roughly $800.
Depending on your needs, it may be worth it. According to 1394 boosters,
here are the technology's selling points:
1394 devices offer ''just in time'' data delivery, which is critical for
sending streams of video and audio.
1394 cables are simple, with plugs like those on a telephone cord.
You can swap 1394 devices without restarting your computer.
Unlike the small-computer- system interface - the current top dog among
high-speed connectors - 1394 basically configures itself. And you can
string together up to 63 compatible devices to the same 1394 bus.
The technology also supports ''peer to peer'' communications. For
example, you could exchange video data between two 1394-enabled
camcorders.
You won't be able to take full advantage of 1394 until the technology is
built into your PC's motherboard and more makers of peripherals adopt
it. But it's something to keep on the radar screen as personal computing
and consumer electronics collide.
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(C) Copyright 1997 Investors Business Daily, Inc.
Metadata: AAPL SNE INTC I/3572 I/3651 I/3675 E/IBD E/SN1 E/FRT E/TECH |
