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FireWire, or IEEE1394, as it is technically known, has been bandied about as a leading contender for transmitting digital video for several years now. HDTV FireWire demos started popping up as <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?189">early as 1998</A>, but to date, little actual product has emerged for the consumer to buy.

<I>Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1. Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0 (English, French). 152 minutes (film). 1987. Warner Bros. 89391 17532. PG. $24.98.</I>

The question is an old but still fundamental one: Can you make small speakers perform like big speakers? This isn't necessarily the question that creators of small speakers ask themselves during creation, nor will it probably enter the mind of the small-speaker consumer at the time of purchase. Still, I'll wager that it's the first question your ears will ask when you place them in the middle of your new compact home theater system. Let's face it: All other factors being equal, it's easier for large speakers to do certain things, and many of these things are especially critical in your home theater.