Audio Video News

FireWire, or IEEE1394, as it is technically known, has been bandied about as a leading contender for transmitting digital video for several years now. HDTV FireWire demos started popping up as early as 1998, but to date, little actual product has emerged for the consumer to buy.

However, last week, chip designer Divio publicly announced that its NW700 single-chip DV decoder will be adding FireWire to the new Marantz VP-12S1 high-end home video projector ($12,499), first announced at the recent CEDIA trade show. Divio says that the inclusion of its chip enables the direct connection of MiniDV camcorders and other DV products to the Marantz via IEEE1394 for recording and playback of pure DV content.

Thus far, few consumer video products have been able to directly display DV content in its native digital format; the vast majority require DV to first be converted to an analog signal, which can often degrade picture quality. Divio says the FireWire-equipped VP-12S1 enables users to record and play back professional-quality DV without the need for additional video conversion hardware.

The VP-12S1 is based on the latest Texas Instruments 1280 x 720 pixel DLP panel, and will also sport the standard variety of connections, including HD component video, component video, S-video, and composite video, as well as analog RGB computer inputs. Marantz' Katsumi Shimoguchi adds, "With the ability to directly connect DV products to the VP-12S1 over IEEE1394, Divio enables the projector to display professional-quality digital video without the need to convert the format. Our high-end customers will appreciate the ability to display high resolution DV content without compromising picture quality."

According to Divio's Steve Musallam, the new projector represents a "breakthrough in DV display technology" because it is one of the first consumer products to "ensure a pure digital-to-digital path from the video source to the display." He adds that his company is currently working with other manufacturers to "enable new digital video solutions for enthusiasts as well as day-to-day DV users."