Kenwood And Zayante Show Advanced IEEE 1394 ""FireWire/i.Link"" Applications At CES 2000

Kenwood's latest product developments utilizing the IEEE 1394 ""FireWire/i.Link"" digital communications protocol were featured at this yearís 2000 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The joint Kenwood/Zayante presentation form part of the 1394-enabled home entertainment demonstrations at the 1394 Trade Association booth.The new Kenwood prototypes include a FireWire/i.Link -capable audio/video receiver, DVD-Video player, CD player and mini disc recorder that are capable of using the FireWire/i.Link bus to transmit multi-channel audio in multiple zones. ""We have been working to implement FireWire/i.Linkís more advanced capabilities,"" said Brian Towne, Kenwoodís National Product Manager for Home Electronics. ""These latest units are the first ones that can use FireWire/i.Linkís architecture in a multi-channel/multi-zone application.""Jointly developed with Zayante, the 1394 total solutions company, the new prototypes can send 5.1 channel Dolby Digital and DTS programs across the industry-standard FireWire/i.Link bus into two different zones simultaneously, with all components operating on a peer-to-peer basis. ""FireWire/i.Link has the potential to completely revolutionize the capabilities of home entertainment systems as we know them,"" added Mr. Towne. ""Being able to send multichannel home entertainment programs across the bus is an important step towards realizing that potential.""In addition to unveiling its multi-channel/multi-zone FireWire/i.Link capability, Kenwood is showing its GUI touch panel controller for the system. The controller has 2-way communication with the receiver, which lets it operate the system from either zone while always showing the user the systemís current status. ""We use the industry-standard AV/C protocol to send control communications across the FireWire/i.Link bus,"" said Mr. Towne, ""but all of the communication between the controller and the receiver is a proprietary Kenwood protocol. Using our own protocol allows us to design the remote with as much capability as we want, and gives us tremendous flexibility in system design."" Such flexibility means that the controller can be made capable of controlling a complete home network, including environmental control and lighting systems in addition to home entertainment products, but without the traditional PC computer interface. ""Imagine being able to use a simple TouchPanel to operate a complete home control network without having to launch an application on your PC,"" said Mr. Towne.FireWire Performance HighlightsThe IEEE 1394 protocol can transmit any digital program signal, from multi-channel audio to full video, as well as system control signals on a single line. Extremely wide digital bandwidth (over 400 million bits per second) allows it to accommodate extremely sophisticated systems that include up to 63 components, all connected via a single cable. The format is hot plug and play, so components can be added to a system while it is operating. Inter-manufacturer compatibility assures that any FireWire-capable components will be able to work together without requiring an installer to go through a time-consuming setup routine. All interface information is communicated via the FireWire/i.Link bus, enabling the system to automatically reconfigure itself whenever a component is added or removed.About KenwoodFounded in 1961, Kenwood USA Corporation is the largest audio specialty company in the United States. Offering more than 250 home, car, and personal audio products, Kenwood is recognized by consumers and the consumer electronics industry for developing products that provide superior sound quality, reliability and value. Kenwood USA Corporation, based in Long Beach, California, is the largest subsidiary of Kenwood Corporation.About ZayanteZayante, Inc., is dedicated to being the full-service leader in providing network-ready 1394 home networking silicon and software products and services to manufacturers of computing and consumer electronics devices and related semiconductor chips. Based in Scotts Valley, California, the company was founded in 1996 by the visionaries and primary developers of 1394 technology from Apple Computer Inc. It is a privately held company supported by venture capital from Sigma Partners. Zayanteís complete architectural approach, encompassing BridgeWise silicon technologies and its Radically Distributed Network Architecture (R/DNA) software implementations, together with its unrivaled 1394 networking technology expertise, puts the company in a class of its own..

Further information can be obtained by contacting Kenwood USA Corporation, P.O. Box 22745, Long Beach, CA 90801. www.kenwoodusa.com.More information about Zayante is available at http://www.zayante.com.