1394: a good vintage for consumer electronics

Although the 1394, or FireWire, high speed peripheral interconnect standard is being strongly challenged by USB in PC markets, there are signs of life for the technology in consumer electronics products, analysts predict.

In-Stat said that digital televisions, cable set-top boxes and DVD recorders are all driving 1394a growth in the consumer segment.

In addition, the High-Definition Audio Video Networking Alliance (HANA) has endorsed 1394 as a transmission medium for high-definition content, a development that may spur adoption of 1394 in home video networks.

In the PC world, 1394 has had success in notebook PCs but has struggled in corporate desktops, which account for a significant share of PCs sold annually, according to the the In-Stat report.

However, the study pointed out that Microsoft has announced that it will support 1394b in its next-generation Vista operating system, which may breathe additional life into 1394 in this segment.

"The consumer electronics segment is expected to surpass the combination of the PC and PC peripheral segments in 1394 devices by 2007," said In-Stat analyst Brian O'Rourke.

In-Stat estimates that the overall worldwide market for 1394-enabled devices will grow from 115.8 million units in 2005 to 219.9 million in 2010.

If HANA is successful in driving 1394b as a home networking technology, In-Stat expects to see 1394b in wall plates or separate boxes, such as gateways, rather than in consumer electronics devices.

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