IEEE 1394 to bring networking home

Multimedia will be the application that will eventually bring the mass market onto home networks, according to Cahners In-Stat.

The research firm reports that, based on recent consumer surveys, audio and video are the most likely candidates to draw the average consumer into home networking, with IEEE 1394 being the most viable standard for making multimedia home networking a reality.

"The typical home network today is data-based and PC-centred, and emphasises sharing printers and internet access within a house. While functional, it is of limited interest to the typical consumer," says Brian O'Rourke, a senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR.

"However, moving audio and video streams is much more difficult than moving data, as they require a greater amount of bandwidth, and the ability to deliver in real time." With its ability to provide high bandwidth and isochronous data transfer in a peer-to-peer network, the IEEE 1394 standard is perfect for multimedia home networking.

In-Stat/MDR also found that:,/p>

* IEEE 1394 ports are being installed on large numbers of advanced consumer electronics, from digital televisions to advanced set-top boxes. Currently, the major stumbling block is the limited distance allowed between nodes in a 1394 network. It has had the effect of limiting 1394-enabled products to a single room, thus rendering it irrelevant as a home networking technology.

* There are a number of possibilities for standards, in addition to IEEE 1394, that may play a part in multimedia home networks, including: Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11, and IEEE 802.15.3, an emerging wireless personal area network standard.

* While only a very small number of consumer electronic devices are expected to be attached to home networks in 2002, the number will exceed 7 million by 2005.