FireWire Killed the Ethernet Star?

HANA, the High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance, is championing IEEE 1394, aka FireWire, as the universal connector among networks of consumer electronics products carrying HD content. This poses some interesting issues for interoperability with PC-based home networks, which are Ethernet- based.

Launched in 2005, HANA consists of 15 to 20 companies including Sun Microsystems, Samsung, and NBC Universal. All HANA-certified devices would connect via FireWire, would be discoverable to one another, and would communicate with one another with one remote control and without the need for drivers or firmware updates. The first HANA-certified products are expected for release at next year's Consumer Electronics Show.

HANA takes advantage of the FCC mandate that HD-capable cable devices have a 1394 (FireWire) connection upon request. HANA says that FireWire, which was designed to transfer media, is preferable to Ethernet for moving HD content since FireWire better handles QoS prioritization, in other words, streams video better.

Sounds great, doesn't it? Sure, except that there are now some troubling implications for integrating your TV-based network with your PC-based network.

HANA works closely with the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and has designed this FireWire-based system to heavily protect digital rights management. HANA devices control the flow of DRM-protected content, allowing it to stream from PC- networks to home entertainment systems but, to prevent file sharing, not the other way around. Plus right now, the MPAA doesn't allow HANA devices to use wireless technologies. HANA networks are wired only.

I spent the past two days looking at cool devices designed to share photos, video, and music between your PC-based network and your TV-centric home entertainment system either by Ethernet or by Wi-Fi. HANA and the MPAA support neither protocol. If FireWire-based HANA devices take off, what will happen to current Ethernet and Wi-Fi based media networking products? It will be interesting to see how this shakes out in the next year.