Fujitsu's MB88395 HD-over-Firewire controller hits the road
by Steven Kim 
posted Apr 29th 2009 at 9:28AM
1394 posts
HANA Entertainment Box looks to pass along HD content over coax
by Darren Murph posted Aug 26th 2008 at 3:11AM
Coaxial cabling has long since been viewed as a premiere option for passing along high-def content within the home. After all, in most places it's already neatly installed within the walls. The High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) has announced its intentions to release a HANA Entertainment Box reference design based on the new (UWB-based) 1394 Over Coax standard; products based on said design will enable consumers to "download HD content from any broadband connection or HD cable set-top-box and watch it in any room in their home with a coax jack and a remote control." HANA is hoping to have the reference design and initial prototypes out the door in Q4, though we wouldn't hold our breath.HANA adds Cablevision & 17 other new members, demos connectivity
by Richard Lawler posted Jan 10th 2007 at 1:48PM
We've been following the High Definition Audio Video Network Alliance for over a year now and at this year's CES the group is announcing it has added 18 new companies, most notably Cablevision joining as a board member. The promise of easily connected HD devices from companies like JVC, Mitsubishi and Samsung is enticing but the fact is that none of those companies announced plans for the technology in their new product lineups. CE Pro sat in on a reception last night and did see connectivity demonstrations on various devices, including a HANA-enabled Samsung HDTV. Progress takes time so for now check out a list of HANA's 17 other new members after the break and dream of a day when your HDTV, AV system, set-top box, DVR and PMPs can join hands as sisters and brothers throughout the house with no new wiring or extensive setup necessary.Read - Cablevision Joins High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) Board
Read - HANA Scores with Multiple Vendors Showing Interoperability over 1394
1394 is -- still -- coming to home theater
by Richard Lawler posted Jun 16th 2006 at 1:21PM
Things have been a bit quiet on the 1394 front since the HANA announcement, but they want us to know things are still progressing. This article from EETimes goes into the issues faced by the connector and why it hasn't taken off yet. We all want all of our devices to be able to talk to each other and share their content but so far that hasn't materialized. Helping get the ball rolling are planned 1394b support in a Vista service pack and the ability to send 1394 signals over ethernet or coax. Still, many CE manufacturers seem to be backing ethernet and the DLNA as a way of connecting devices, and this stalemate is even more complex than Blu-ray/HD DVD. As it is, most of us have cable or satellite boxes equipped with FireWire, ethernet and USB ports that are mostly unsupported, unless you like to tinker. Is the (easily) connected home 6 months or 6 years away?Vista to support 1394b, aka FireWire 800
by Ben Drawbaugh posted May 10th 2006 at 8:30PM
One of the best ways to send HD material between devices is 1394, for one it has tons of bandwidth, it is very versatile and has good industry support. We are not sure why it isn't included in more TVs especially considering that so many TVs include ATSC tuners. We don't subscribe to the evil MPAA theory, but we don't have a better explanation either.Either way we are glad to have the new faster version included in Vista, not because we need the extra throughput, but because of the distance that 1394 over CAT5 gives us. 1394b combined with a network technology like HANA has alot of promise and OS support is the first of many pieces that must come together to give us the whole home media nirvana that we all dream of, now we just need 5C support.
Thanks Julie
Does your cable box have a FireWire port?
by Ben Drawbaugh posted Feb 1st 2006 at 2:06PM
There is currently an FCC mandate in effect that requires
all Cable companies to provide their customers a STB with a functional 1394 (FireWire) port on request. This mandate
was agreed to by the Cable companies (yes they all signed it) and went into effect on April 1st, 2004. Back then I tried to get one and let me tell you, it wasn't easy. Shortly after another Tampa resident called the CEO of Advance/Newhouse Communications, (the parent company of Bright House Networks) the boxes became available.
But who gets top bunk? HANA and 1394 TA to share a booth at CES
by Richard Lawler posted Dec 28th 2005 at 2:46PM
More of this "collaboration" as some people call it, I'm taking a cue from the HD-DVD and Blu-ray camps and
thumbing my nose at all forms of standardization and cooperative efforts. The latest two draw my ire are the 1394 Trade Association and HANA
who will be showing off how they can make your digital media devices connect better and more easily in just one booth
at CES. I mean really, who wants that, now Kevin can't get the exercise of walking back and forth from booth to booth. It's a fact, 1394 makes kids and Kevins fat.
From the release: "At ICES, HANA will demonstrate HD audio-video room-to-room networking with a network interface unit. It also will host a demonstration featuring audio and video distributed using 1394 through a variety of legacy products including Cable STBs, D-VCRs, AV hard drives, camcorders and a new HDTV. The Trade Association will participate in the booth, and plans to establish a formal liaison with HANA early in 2006."
Blah blah blah, all this working together makes me sick, excuse me while I go work on some proprietary technology.
Apple/Firewire getting a boost from HANA's HDTV plan?
by Richard Lawler posted Dec 20th 2005 at 4:07AM
So it would seem, Macsimum News has gone deeper into last weeks
announcement of the newly-formed HDTV
initiative, and how exactly they plan to connect all of your devices together. Basically, HANA certified
devices will all use 1394 to communicate with one another, without the installation of drivers and users will be able
to control all connected devices with one remote.What with Firewire being an Apple technology, plus Apple's existing relationships with some of the companies in the group, it seems like a no-brainer that apple will be getting on board at some point. That is all of no concern to me, I just want to know when I can get that widescreen high-resolution MPEG-4 playing video iPod, Mr. Jobs?
