In the computer world, all things equate to speed in some way. The classic example is the consumer blunder of buying a computer based on MegaHertz speeds alone, thinking this will result in a faster computer and laptop. This is a bad buying decision and a story for another time (see The G4: Hype or Reality). However, in the world of digital video and the need for high-speed peripheral devices, speed is king!
Presently, there are several standards for connecting low and high bandwidth devices. The most mature and frequently used is SCSI, pronounced “skuzzy”. The SCSI standard has been around for a long time now and is the default standard for high-speed device connections.
Presently, there are several standards for connecting low and high bandwidth devices. The most mature and frequently used is SCSI, pronounced “skuzzy”. The SCSI standard has been around for a long time now and is the default standard for high-speed device connections.
SCSI comes in multiple flavors ranging from standard SCSI 5 MBps (Megabytes per second) to Ultra 160 (160 MBps).
While fast, SCSI is not Plug ‘N’ Play and can be a bear to connect and daisy chain together. Two new technologies vying for the top spot for Plug “N” Play device connectivity are USB and FireWire. USB (Universal Serial Bus) developed by Intel, Inc. looks to be the low bandwidth leader, although Intel’s not sure where it’s eventually going with the technology, and FireWire (whose technical name is IEEE 1394) developed by Apple Computer, Inc. seeks to compete and eventually surpass SCSI altogether. All three are excellent technologies and offer the consumer a good experience for connecting devices, such as hard drives, to their computer and have unique niches in the industry.
However, SCSI, USB, and FireWire may appear to be similar on the surface, but that is where the similarities end.
If you’re not familiar with IEEE 1394, it’s an official international standard for high-speed digital connections. Its sole purpose for existence is to allow professionals to transfer large amounts of digital information such as digital video and audio at extremely high speeds and to easily connect devices hassle-free one to another. It delivers on both promises. So, what exactly does FireWire offer video professionals over the other two?
Got speed?
If you’re not familiar with IEEE 1394, it’s an official international standard for high-speed digital connections. Its sole purpose for existence is to allow professionals to transfer large amounts of digital information such as digital video and audio at extremely high speeds and to easily connect devices hassle-free one to another. It delivers on both promises. So, what exactly does FireWire offer video professionals over the other two?
Got speed?
Presently, FireWire Speed boasts a top transfer speed of 400 Mbps (megabits per second) that equates to roughly 50 MBps (Megabytes per second). That’s 30 times more bandwidth than USB and just under the 80 MBps Ultra Wide SCSI is capable of delivering! In the very near future, the FireWire Speed specification will increase speeds to 800 and then 1600 Mbps and finally top out somewhere around 3.2 Gbps (gigabits per second) in the next few years. In comparison, the current implementation of USB runs at 1.5 to 12 Mbps, too slow for any video capabilities, and USB 2.0, will top out at 480 Mbps. You’ll want to read the USB article to get the skinny on USB 2.0.
Why is FireWire Speed such a great connector besides speed? With FireWire, you can daisy chain up to 63 devices with cable lengths up to 14 feet without device ID numbers, jumpers, DIP switches, screws, latches or terminators as you do with SCSI devices – just plug in and go! Best of all, you don’t have to worry about PC and Mac connections. FireWire knows both flavors out of the box! FireWire also does away with the need for analog-to-digital conversion making time for more important things like maybe - editing. Not only is FireWire true Plug ‘N’ Play, it does not require a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to direct data, meaning that the cables are peer-to-peer and can also supply power to connected peripherals as well making the portability of FireWire equipped devices supreme to any other standard. As an example, If you were using a G4 PowerBook in the field you would benefit by using Plug “N” Play DV camcorders or hard drives like the LaCie Pocket Drive which gives video professionals up to 30 GB per drive to work with video footage until you get back to the studio. FireWire makes digital journalism a reality!
FireWire and ROI:
What does FireWire do for your ROI (Return on Investment)? It means big savings in time and money connecting devices to and from your editing equipment making more time for doing what you do best – “creating spectacular productions”! Products that currently feature FireWire connectivity include DV camcorders, digital cameras, digital video capturing and editing equipment, portable hard drives, CD-RW and DVD burners, storage drives, and professional quality printers and scanners. Future products to sport FireWire will include digital TV sets, cable boxes and home stereo units as well as home networking solutions. With such an array of products available and more on the way, video professionals can capitalize on potential savings and grow their businesses. The possibilities for this technology are endless and should create some interesting options for video professionals in the near future.
Note: Currently, Apple includes two FireWire ports on its G4 desktops and one on the G4 “Titanium” PowerBook. If you need to add FireWire capabilities to an existing pre G3 (Blue and White) system, there are third party card developers who can provide you with what you need.
So, what are you waiting for? Make FireWire work for you.
FireWire vs. USB
The key difference between FireWire and USB is that FireWire is intended for devices working with a lot more data -- things like camcorders, DVD players and digital audio equipment. FireWire and USB share a number of characteristics but differ in some important ways.Here's a summary:
| Feature | USB | FireWire | ||
| 1.1 | 2.0 | 400 | 800 | |
| Data transfer rate | 12 Mbps | 480 Mbps | 400 Mbps | 800 Mbps |
| Number of devices | 127 | 127 | 63 | 63 |
| Plug and play | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot-pluggable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Isochronous devices | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bus power | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bus termination required | No | No | No | No |
| Bus type | Serial | Serial | Serial | Serial |
| Cable type | Twisted pair (4 wires: 2 power, 1 twisted-pair set) | Twisted pair (4 wires: 2 power, 1 twisted-pair set) | Twisted pair (6 wires: 2 power, 2 twisted-pair sets) | Twisted pair (8 wires: 2 power, 2 twisted-pair sets, 2 ground) |
| Networkable | Yes - host-based | Yes - host-based | Yes - peer-to-peer | Yes - peer-to-peer |
| Network topology | Hub | Hub | Daisy chain | Daisy chain |
As you can see, the two are a lot alike. Implementing FireWire costs a little more than USB, which led to the adoption of USB as the standard for connecting most peripherals that do not require a high-speed bus.
Speed aside, the big difference between FireWire and USB 2.0 is that USB 2.0 is host-based, meaning that devices must connect to a computer in order to communicate. FireWire is peer-to-peer, meaning that two FireWire cameras can talk to each other without going through a computer.
Now let's get back to the implementation of FireWire. How do you connect?
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