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With all the current cable types for a home theater system it makes the back of the receiver look like a pile of spaghetti. Not counting HDMI, or coax (cable-TV, not audio) the simplest connection is at least two cables, and some four or more.

I stumbled across an interesting proposal a few years ago called HAVi. Basically the concept is to use a single cable standard to communicate not only all audio, and video data, but also the ability for devices to communicate between themselves. To quote a section from the sites FAQ:

What are the advantages of HAVi-enabled devices?

The HAVi specification offers advantages for both the end-user and the device manufacturer.

Some advantages for the End User:

• Will have seamless connectivity, interoperability, and increased functionality of digital audio and video devices, regardless of manufacturer.
• Will be assured of future compatibility of devices through built in upgrade paths.
• Will be able to easily connect to the internet for web browsing.

The HAVi Specification was developed for home entertainment AV networks, providing high bandwidth for transmitting multiple AV streams and featuring easy "plug-and-enjoy". The HAVi specification allows for automatically detecting devices on the network, coordinating the functions of various devices, installing applications and user interface software on each device, and ensuring interoperability among devices regardless of manufacturer.

However, the last update to that website appears to have been sometime in 2004. Looking up information for this post I ran across what appears to be the current incarnation High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) with some pretty heavy support from across the industry. Such as IBM, JVC, Mitsubishi Electric, NBC-Universal, Samsung, Sun, Texas Instrumets, WB, AMD, Dolby, ATI, just to name a few.

For those thinking that firewire (aka IEEE-1394-1995, IEEE-1394a-2000, IEEE-1394b, i.Link) has insufficient bandwidth for HD video signals let alone video & audio signals. Recall that Firewire as currently deployed can handle up to 800 Mb/s, and the spec currently allows for up to 3200 Mb/s, more than enough bandwidth for the content in MPEG2 format, let along h.264. Also note that the HANA proposal does not involve necessarily having the player decrypt the data, but possibly just transmitting the MPEG2, or MPEG4 singal along the cable, thereby reduce the amount of bandwidth needed. For a brief overview regarding why they choose firewire you can read an article

With all the current cable types for a home theater system it makes the back of the receiver look like a pile of spaghetti. Not counting HDMI, or coax (cable-TV, not audio) the simplest connection is at least two cables, and some four or more.

I stumbled across an interesting proposal a few years ago called HAVi. Basically the concept is to use a single cable standard to communicate not only all audio, and video data, but also the ability for devices to communicate between themselves. To quote a section from the sites FAQ:

What are the advantages of HAVi-enabled devices?

The HAVi specification offers advantages for both the end-user and the device manufacturer.

Some advantages for the End User:

• Will have seamless connectivity, interoperability, and increased functionality of digital audio and video devices, regardless of manufacturer.
• Will be assured of future compatibility of devices through built in upgrade paths.
• Will be able to easily connect to the internet for web browsing.

The HAVi Specification was developed for home entertainment AV networks, providing high bandwidth for transmitting multiple AV streams and featuring easy "plug-and-enjoy". The HAVi specification allows for automatically detecting devices on the network, coordinating the functions of various devices, installing applications and user interface software on each device, and ensuring interoperability among devices regardless of manufacturer.

However, the last update to that website appears to have been sometime in 2004. Looking up information for this post I ran across what appears to be the current incarnation High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) with some pretty heavy support from across the industry. Such as IBM, JVC, Mitsubishi Electric, NBC-Universal, Samsung, Sun, Texas Instrumets, WB, AMD, Dolby, ATI, just to name a few.

For those thinking that firewire (aka IEEE-1394-1995, IEEE-1394a-2000, IEEE-1394b, i.Link) has insufficient bandwidth for HD video signals let alone video & audio signals. Recall that Firewire as currently deployed can handle up to 800 Mb/s, and the spec currently allows for up to 3200 Mb/s, more than enough bandwidth for the content in MPEG2 format, let along h.264. Also note that the HANA proposal does not involve necessarily having the player decrypt the data, but possibly just transmitting the MPEG2, or MPEG4 singal along the cable, thereby reduce the amount of bandwidth needed. For a brief overview regarding why they choose firewire you can read an article

There's a definite argument that the BluRay Java menuing system is too complicated, too bloated, and more expensive to develop for, when compared to a Javascript-based UI.

Now are you saying that just because it's Java, or because you have been looking over the specs?

First of all, the Java used is J2ME - the same Java that goes into cellphones. It's a whole different ball of yarn as many features and libraries are stripped out. Javascript would actually be a larger burden. It uses the Personal Basis Profile, meant for consumer devices.

The UI is not Swing, or even AWT - it sort of resembles the HAVi system.

Look here for Blu-Ray technical specs - the bits about Java are in "White Paper: BD ROM - Audio Visual Application Format Specifications (Update: March 2005)" near the bottom.

If you really want something to chew on, try reading this discussion - a nice juicy flamewar between BD-J and iHD supporters (the iHD guy being an exec at Microsoft). Plenty of meaty tidbits for those on either side... my own take on a lot of the discussion is that people there are right about Javascript being a LOT slower than Java, so more things would be possible in BD-J (for instance, in BD-J you could theoretically write a whole MP-3 decoder/player. Hardly likely in Javascript...

The HAVI inter-operability protocol includes what you're talking about regarding state. It's supported by multiple manufacturers, but still questionable whether it will take off...in fact, it looks to be stagnating at the very least.

I'm a professional A/V control systems programmer, and one-way IR-controlled devices are the bane of our existence. If you investigate pro gear intended for permanent installation, even if it's just a VCR, you'll often find a serial port because the manufacturers know it'll be hanging off a control system like Crestron or AMX. But serial protocols are all different, even within the same manufacturer's line. Some are a bitch, some are very, very simple. It's hard to forsee any sort of standardization though, if only because of the wide variety of device functions and the entrenched-ness of manufacturers with their own often long-standing protocols.

So don't look for a common serial protocol. The future of A/V is getting on the network, and efforts are being made on interoperability on this "new" frontier in both corporate and academic worlds.

Actually, there is a standard for an A/V network. It's called HAVi, and it based on Firewire. (In theory is should be able to use other media and protocols too, but the theory is very far from the reality, given the protocol design.) Main web site for the org is here .

This was created by many of the same Japanese companies. I worked for one of their research labs on the project. When the economy hit the skids a couple years back, they basically abondoned it. They were not the only ones though. Lots of talk, some specs, but no company was actually wiling to be the first to spend the money to put the capabilities into real products. Last I heard it was dying a slow death, in spite of spiffy news updates on the HAVi site.

Same old story of the difficulty of getting competitors to truly work together past the level of the standards committee. When it comes to putting dollars (or yen) on the line, it's a different story.

Given that I was right in the middle of the HAVi thing, and watched it die in realtime, I don't have much faith in this latest great idea either. Especially since HAVi was actually useful.

The other cool part of A/V connection using Firewire is when they add HAVi on top of it. This basiaclly allows units to identify each other over the FW connection. Then, a HAVi enabled TV can actually control a HAVi enabled device (receiver, Digital VHS deck, etc.)

Maybe this will help in the Firewire v. DVI realm. I would prefer to have HAVi enabled Firewire I/O on all of my components, and I'm guessing the big cable companies will want DVI since the big studios are pushing it. I'd love to be able to replace my DVI-based TimeWarner box with a HAVi enabled component.

For example, the tired old stock-ticker applet running in real time alongside your news channel, or the navigator application that tells you what's on now and next (although this would probably be resident on the device.) are MHP apps.

HAVi is more than that, though. HAVi is a firewire-based peer-to-peer network for home A/V equipment, enabling a "dumb" device like a CD-player to ask a "smart" device like a TV to display it's UI for it, on any TV in the house. I'm using "dumb" and "smart" here to refer to whether the HAVi device has a Java VM & display capability.

It's interesting that the site chose HListGroup - it's the UI widget that caused more pain and suffering than all the others put together, because it's so much more complex than simple stuff like a button.

Sadly, I'm not working on HAVi any longer. I'm sure someone here has current knowledge, though.

Jon.

One word: HAVi.

Apparently I must add more spew here in order to pass the postercomment compression filter. I hope you have enjoyed reading it every bit as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

It's been done. Check out the HAVi Consortium website. All the major manufacturers have created the specification for A/V device interoperability.

USB, FireWire, and Jini promised us modular things, and besides VCR/TV and Stereos, we don't have much modularity. I would like to see a big name come up with a whole line of designer, modular, entertainment devices. Paint 'em red white and blue or something to get us to like them! Hell I don't know.

The current big-company-supported initiative for modular devices is HAVi. It's focused on Audio/Visual stuff, mainly the control of a/v appliances, and the transfer of content between them. (So yes, it's mainly VCR's, TVs and stereos, but there's provision for other devices too).

It's APIs are a primarily C++ with future plans to make it more Java-ised. I'd personally prefer Jini, but even if Sun were't being COMPLETE SMEGGING IDIOTS about Jini licensing terms, it'd still be years before we could affordably give our telephones enough computing power to run a Java Virtual Machine.

You want HAVi.

So do I.

Does anyone know whether the Ps2 will support the HAVI standard? Now that would be a PC killer. The moment some brave soul wrote a Linux "game" to "play" on it, I'll never look at a PC again.