In December 2002, consumer electronics manufacturers joined with cable MSOs in announcing an historic agreement on digital cable compatibility. Among the provisions identified in the agreement was a commitment on the part of cable operators to provide, by July 2005, IEEE-1394 interfaces on high-definition digital cable set-top boxes acquired for distribution to consumers. Two standards related to the 1394 interface were cited in the agreement, ANSI/SCTE 26 [1] and CEA-931-A [2]. This paper describes the agreed-upon functionality of this high-speed serial bus network interface, and provides an in-depth discussion of the new CEA-931-A protocol.