HDMI and IEEE1394 devices

There are encoders and decoders. Companies such as Silicon Image, Vativ, TI, and Analog Devices make them. Who else? One would of these companies be a good investment with blu-ray finally chosen as high def format and HDTV's quickly dropping in price?

I'm also looking for a good Firewire device to connect to the output of my cable box. Choices seem to include:

T.V.'s:

• Hitachi XWX (not SWX): 51XWX20B, 57XWX20B, 65XWX20B + 65S700, 57S700, 51S700, 65T750, 57T750
  
• JVC 94 Monitor: AV-56WP94, AV-65WP94
  
• Mitsubishi WS-485111, WS-55511, and WS-65511 + WS-48613, WS-55613, WS-65613
• Panasonic PT-47WD63, PT-53TWD63, PT-56TWD63
• SONY (i.link) KDP-51WS550, KDP-57WS550, KDP-65WS550
  
• RCA/Thomson: WD52W140, HD61W140, Scenium: HD52W151, HD56W151, HD61W151, HD52W41, WD56W41
• Toshiba (DTVLink = 1394): 51H93, 57H93, 65H93
  
• Zenith/LG: *maybe* DU-50PZ60 or MU-50PZ90V

D-VHS digital VCR's (ideally one with D-Theater content protection). Aka DVS?

• Panasonic PV-HD1000
• JVC HM-DSR100, HM-DH5U, DT100U, HM-DH40000, HM-DH30000U (aka 30k)
  
• Sony DHR1000, DSR2000
• Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U DVHS
• Marantz MV8300
  

Interesting published article: http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200012/000020001200A0297132.php

Users manuals:
http://www.asm-form.com/Form.html

Beware of Hitachi and RCA - they may have "braindead 1394" - aka "digital A/V" OR simply "digital interface":

• Hitachi's VTDX815A
• RCA: VR911HF

Hitachi and Thomson Consumer Electronics, the U.S. subsidiary of France's money-losing Thomson Multimedia that owns the RCA and GE brands, were the first to detail their D-VHS time-shift offerings. Hitachi showed a prototype $599 D-VHS deck with an IEEE-1394 connection to its IRD at the Winter Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in January, 1997. Thomson chose the Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association (SBCA) show in March to outline its plans for the DSS-3 product line, which includes an as-yet-unpriced D-VHS deck. Much to the dismay of FireWire purists, both decks use brain-dead 1394. TWICE (This Week in Consumer Electronics) quoted Randy Staggs, Thomson VCR product management manager as saying: "The simplified digital A/V bus doesn't have the simultaneous two-way communication of the full IEEE-1394 spec, which allows us to use a less-expensive microprocessor." The same article attributes to Hitachi TV product manager Jim Abrahamsen the somewhat misleading observation that "the interface is 'a simplified digital A/V bus,' meaning that while the IEEE-1394 connection is used, only four pins out of the six specified in the standard are used to carry bitstream data." It's true that four conductors carry the IEEE-1394 data; the two missing conductors in the four-pin IEEE-1394.1 consumer connector carry power. But the IEEE-1394.1 connectors used by today's DV and DVCAM camcorders and decks implement the full IEEE-1394 protocol, not some proprietary "simplified digital A/V bus."


Other 1394 devices (might not be 5C compliant):

• Pioneer 520H-S DVD/HD recorder
• Panasonic DMR-HS2