What is a DV input used for?

A DV input is a socket in the back of an electronic device where a DV wire is inserted in order to connect different pieces of equipment together to quickly and easily share information. This type of connection is most commonly used with audio and video equipment, like home theater systems, digital cameras and computers.

A DV connection is also called iLink, FireWire and IEEE1394. Depending on the specific DV product being used, up to 63 devices can be connected together. When using a DV connection to link up a device to a computer, the computer will detect it automatically and ask for the driver disc. If the driver information is already loaded onto the computer or is housed within the device, the computer can communicate with it almost immediately. Devices connected together with a DV connection are considered to be hot pluggable devices because they can be connected and disconnected at any time, even when the power is on.

DV connections allow devices to communicate with each other at rapid speeds. In fact, this type of connection is much faster than using a USB connection. The newest DV connections transfer information at speeds that reach to 800 Mbps, with a maximum cable length of 100 meters. Unlike USB, DV allows peer-to-peer connections. This means two digital cameras can be connected to each other. USB is host-based, so it has to connect the device to a computer.