1394 Trade Association Introduces First Global Standard for Networking Entertainment Devices Over Coaxial Cable

The 1394 Trade Association in August announced adoption of the first global standard for networking digital content over coaxial cables using Ultra Wideband (UWB) communications. The new 1394 Over Coax standard enables the industry’s fastest whole-home network in a multi-supplier ecosystem featuring protected high-definition and multimedia content.   

The 1394 TA’s “no new wires” home networking standard provides for data rates up to 800 Megabits per second, enabling a high-speed multimedia home network that can work with all 1394 and IP-enabled devices over coax wiring. The MAC/PHY layers specified in the new standard are available now in a new chipset from Pulse~LINK using its CWave® UWB technology. CWave features guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) and data rate performance never before achieved over existing in-home coax cabling.

Cable providers who’ve been seeking a coax solution were enthused. "Given the guaranteed Quality of Service, content protection and bandwidth of 1394 - and now the ability to deliver these benefits over existing coax throughout the home - we consider this new standard to be a significant development in support of next generation home networking,” said Wilt Hildenbrand, Senior Advisor Engineering and Technology for Cablevision Systems Corp. “With today’s high-definition digital set-top-boxes already incorporating a 1394 port, this new global standard can unlock the value and the positive consumer benefits this port was always intended to deliver."

“TI is pleased that a global standard for 1394 over coaxial cable has been adopted to address home networking issues with a high-performance solution,” stated Daniel Mar, Texas Instruments 1394 Marketing Manager. “This standard will lead to a new era, in which consumers can easily, cost-effectively and securely share throughout the home multiple HD video streams and Internet content with superior Quality of Service.”     

The new standard also serves as the basis for the whole-home networking backbone defined by the High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA). HANA solutions enable consumers to share premium quality HD content across audio-video devices in a trusted environment. HANA, a cross-industry organization comprised of leading content providers, service providers, consumer electronic manufacturers and technology companies, chose 1394 for whole-home distribution of premium content because of its guaranteed QoS and DTCP security. Many of the guidelines for development of HANA-enabled products will be based on the new 1394 Over Coax Specification.

“Moving entertainment content around the home requires a robust networking technology with end-to-end Quality of Service, ensuring that a movie or program will play without interruption,” observed Bill Rose, marketing work group chair for the 1394 Trade Association. “By combining the CWave MAC/PHY performance with the digital rights protection inherent in 1394, and designing it to coexist with all of the services already using the coax wiring in today’s homes, we have created the ideal solution for networking high-definition entertainment devices.”

“After more than two years of close collaboration with the 1394 Trade Association and its member companies, Pulse~LINK is proud to be a part of the first International standard to incorporate UWB over coax,” remarked John Santhoff, Pulse~LINK co-founder and CTO.