Adaptec AFW-1430 User Manual

Contents

2OverviewAbout DV TechnologyDV technology is a standard digital file and compression format forrecording video and audio data onto a digital tape. DV usescompression to reduce the enormous size of the uncompressedvideo data (up to 50 full-screen bitmap images per second) to filesizes manageable by desktop computers.A DV camera digitizes and compresses video before recording totape. In playback mode, the camera can decompress DV data anddisplay in real time. The camera can also transfer the data, usingFireWire, directly to a hard drive where it can be edited and thentransferred back to tape. DV conversions and data transfersprovide better video quality than processes involving analogconversion.About FireWire TechnologyFireWire is an international standard data transfer protocol createdby Apple Computer, Inc. and ratified by the InternationalStandards Organization as IEEE 1394. Like other data I/Oprotocols such as SCSI, Fibre Channel, and IDE, FireWire itselfknows nothing about video, compression, or editing. It is a series ofstandardized commands for moving data from one device toanother.FireWire offers advantages that make it ideal for use with audioand video devices: It’s fast—It has 100/200/400 Mbps, or 12.5/25/50 MBps datatransfer rates. It’s guaranteed—Isochronous data transfers offer guaranteedbandwidth, ensuring full-frame, full motion video and CD-quality audio. Asynchronous transfers are also supported. It’s consumer friendly—Small connectors, hot-pluggable(meaning you can connect and disconnect FireWire deviceswithout rebooting a computer), and no need for terminatorsor setting device IDs. It’s expandable—Supports up to 62 devices (16 daisy-chained) with a 4.5-meter flexible cable between devices overa total length of up to 72 meters or 240 feet.