This title discusses the Java parts of the HAVi standard for home entertainment devices, based around IEEE1394/Firewire. It begins with an enthusiastic and compelling argument of why HAVi would be a good thing to have and an up-beat story of how it was created. As stated in the foreword, its adoption in the marketplace is still unsure.

Then the book explains how camcorders, videos, etc. interconnect with an overview of the technology involved and the various acronyms used and an explanation on how this is modelled abstractly by HAVi. Then it discusses the classes involved by giving example programs using the relevant methods and explanations of them.

Unfortunately as it progresses it gets weaker. The first chapters have small code fragments with lots of explanatory text. Toward the complete example programs given in the last chapters it is just pages and pages of code with no markup, comments or text. At times it mixes patronising explanations of core Java concepts with basic syntax errors. Much of the back half is taken up with a listing of class declarations, which would have been much more useful with a good index that listed class names.

Very unfortunately the authors chose not to discuss the Level2 UI defined in HAVi 1.1. However that part is the only part of HAVi that ended up in digital TV platforms such as MHP.

This book could have been executed a lot better. However, even a weaker book that explains the ideas and concepts of the designers beyond the dry standards is so useful that it is worth having, should you need to implement or program a HAVi based device.Perl& Python