Abstract: A data interface module for converting a data stream from one format to another format, including a data stream splitting module for receiving an input data stream in a first format and splitting the input data stream into parallel data streams, each of the parallel data streams being output from the data stream splitting module at a slower data rate than the input data stream is received thereby, and a linking module for receiving and recombining the parallel data streams to produce an output data stream in a second format having a higher data rate then the individual parallel data streams. Conveniently, the input data stream may include video data including successive groups of data, each group representing a portion of an image, the data stream splitting module being configured to direct successive groups to a different one of the parallel data streams and the output data stream may be an IEEE 1394.a compliant asynchronous packet stream.