Audio Video News

Bucking a proposal by the film and television industries to incorporate a non-recordable digital transmission standard, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America (MDEA) announced in mid-March that, later this year, it will introduce high-definition television sets equipped with IEEE 1394 ("FireWire") connectors. The official timetable for the delivery of the new products, and a schedule of projected retail prices, will be announced in May.

Mitsubishi is the second large manufacturer to make such an announcement; Sony recently announced that its next generation of HDTVs would feature the 1394 interface, which Sony calls "I2S." Invented at Apple Computer Corporation, 1394 allows high-speed two-way communication using only a few wires and is the preferred technology for digital networking. Mitsubishi's new sets will include 5C/DTCP copy protection and HAVi ("Home Audio Video interoperability") control software, according to advance publicity.

Mitsubishi has dismissed as "unworkable" a proposal from some film studios and electronics firms to use an alternate technology called Digital Video Interface (DVI) to transmit signals to digital displays and connected devices. DVI's high bit-rate video streams cannot be handled by any available recorders, a situation viewed by the studios as positive protection against copyright infringement. Mitsubishi also rejected DVI because it does not support two-way communications and is therefore not suitable for local networking. JVC is one of the few large electronics companies actively supporting DVI.

Mitsubishi marketing director Bob Perry expressed concern that if DVI gains a foothold in the marketplace, studios and broadcasters may not make their signals compatible with 1394, thereby depriving consumers of the ability to record programs for later viewing. "We specifically rejected the DVI interface because it is effectively a `monitor' connection that cannot be networked or recorded. Consumers should not lose their right to record as we transition to digital," Perry commented.

"Devices that support the DVI interface are really encouraging the demise of `fair use' home recording rights, because the DVI signal is not recordable," a Mitsubishi position paper stated. "IEEE 1394 . . . is quickly becoming the de facto standard in the interconnection of digital devices. As the FCC designated connection method between digital television devices and digital cable set-top boxes, FireWire supports both high-performance digital audio/video products and computer devices as the United States migrates to DTV."

Sony and Mitsubishi are two of the largest and most prominent makers of video equipment. Their decision to include 1394 capabilities in their new HDTV products may effectively end the development of DVI. Mitsubishi made its announcement only one day before the beginning of a congressional hearing on the botched rollout of digital television.