At the time, FireWire 400 (and later 800) was significantly more reliable and faster for sustained video transfers than USB 2.0. Current Status

Early HD cable boxes from Motorola and Scientific Atlanta frequently featured active FireWire ports.

Today, FireWire has been almost entirely replaced by and USB 3.0/4.0 .

A DVR (like a cable or satellite box) that uses a FireWire port to connect to an external hard drive for increased storage.