The HAVi Specification was developed for home entertainment AV networks, providing high bandwidth for transmitting multiple AV streams and featuring easy "plug-and-enjoy" functionality, using an underlying IEEE-1394 digital interface (i.LINK™ or FireWire™).

The HAVi specification defines a set of APIs and middleware capable of automatically detecting devices on the network, coordinating the functions of various devices, installing applications and user interface software on each appliance, and ensuring interoperability among multiple brands of devices.

The HAVi Organization promotes the adoption of the HAVi architecture and the development of interconnecting "bridges" with other home networking standards such as Jini and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP).