 HDMI: High Definition Multimedia Interface
If the source is digital, the standard is HDMI.
For the past decade, the biggest change in consumer electronics has been the shift from analogue to digital technology. It is everywhere from phones, to cars, to HD TVs. There was a change to digital content, digital components, digital everything - except the cables, which remained a mass of old analogue wiring - a group of founders joined together to advance the benefits of the digital revolution in the realm of interconnect connectivity. It was more that just a new cable, but a leap forward in the way that devices communicate - the result was an all purpose built digital connection - the High Definition Digital Interface - HDMI.
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a 19-pin digital connection that transmits both high-definition uncompressed video and multi-channel audio through a single cable.
HDMI has quickly become the world standard and preferred connection for HD devices, being an uncompressed all-digital audio/video interface. It delivers crystal-clear, all-digital audio and video via a single cable, providing an interface between any audio/video sources. The connection of consumer electronic devices, such as, cable/satellite boxes, games consoles, A/V receivers, DVD players, projectors, displays, camcorders, has been dramatically simplified by the use of a single cable, providing the highest-quality experience.
Standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio are supported by HDMI and it transmits a wide range of data formats, such as, ATSC HDTV standards and supports 8-channel, 192kHz, uncompressed digital audio and all currently-available compressed formats (such as Dolby Digital and DTS). In addition HDMI 1.3 adds additional support for new lossless digital audio formats Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ with bandwidth to spare to accommodate future enhancements and requirements.
HDMI is to all intents and purposes the digital interface for HD and the consumer electronics market. HDMI is the interface that is allowing the convergence of PC and consumer electronics devices. PCs and gaming consoles can easily be integrated into an HD home theatre with the use of one cable. HDMI is ready for the future - its high bandwidth and flexible architecture allows it to keep up with changes as higher resolutions, faster refresh rates and advanced colour-handling technologies are designed into the standard. Being backward compatible with previous versions and with DVI allows users the maximum flexibility.
The benefits of HDMI:
- Quality: Pure Digital Signal - no compression, no analogue to digital conversion, no data loss
- Simplicity: Allowing the consumer to enjoy an all digital high definition experience. One single cable transmits both video and audio - one HDMI cable can replace up to 11 legacy cables
- Supports all global video formats: including NTSC, PAL, ATSC
- Supports resolutions: 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, as well as next generation resolutions, 1440p
- Supports several audio formats: all compressed (Dolby Digital 5.1 - 7.1, DTS, DTS-EX), uncompressed (DVD Audio, SuperAudio CD) and lossless (Dolby True HD, DTS HD Master Audio).
- Intelligence - bi-directional communication of information, allowing self configuration.
- Convergence: Designed for a world of convergence where PCs and audio visual products join forces to create the best home theatre experience imaginable
- Reliability: Unlike other interconnect standards; HDMI requires that devices be tested to comply with the HDMI specification. Mandatory testing for manufacturers.
- Eye to the future: HDMI is evolutionary by design, one or two steps ahead of the market, allowing manufactures to build in features such as higher resolutions, faster frame rates, richer colour palettes.
HDMI is constantly evolving to implement leading-edge technologies.
HDMI1.0 - Dec 2002: Digital A/V
HDMI1.1 - Jun 2004: Digital A/V, DVD-Audio
HDMI1.2 - Aug 2005: Digital A/V, DVD-Audio, SACD, PC
HDMI1.2a - Dec 2005: Digital A/V, DVD-Audio, SACD, PC, CEC
HDMI1.3 - Jun 2006: Digital A/V, DVD-Audio, SACD, PC, CEC, Deep color, HBRA, Type C, Lip Sync
HDMI 1.3 - setting the stage for the future:
- Higher speed: Although all previous versions of HDMI have had more than enough bandwidth to support all current HDTV formats, including full, uncompressed 1080p signals, HDMI 1.3 increases its single-link bandwidth to 340 MHz (10.2 Gbps) to support the demands of future HD display devices, such as higher resolutions, Deep Color and high frame rates. In addition, built into the HDMI 1.3 specification is the technical foundation that will let future versions of HDMI reach significantly higher speeds.
- Deep Color: HDMI 1.3 supports 10-bit, 12-bit and 16-bit (RGB or YCbCr) color depths, up from the 8-bit depths in previous versions of the HDMI specification, for stunning rendering of over one billion colors in unprecedented detail.
- Broader color space: HDMI 1.3 adds support for "x.v.Color™" (which is the consumer name describing the IEC 61966-2-4 xvYCC color standard), which removes current color space limitations and enables the display of any color viewable by the human eye.
- New mini connector: With small portable devices such as HD camcorders and still cameras demanding seamless connectivity to HDTVs, HDMI 1.3 offers a new, smaller form factor connector option.
- Lip Sync: Because consumer electronics devices are using increasingly complex digital signal processing to enhance the clarity and detail of the content, synchronization of video and audio in user devices has become a greater challenge and could potentially require complex end-user adjustments. HDMI 1.3 incorporates automatic audio synching capabilities that allow devices to perform this synchronization automatically with total accuracy.
- New HD lossless audio formats: In addition to HDMI's current ability to support high-bandwidth uncompressed digital audio and all currently-available compressed formats (such as Dolby® Digital and DTS®), HDMI 1.3 adds additional support for new lossless compressed digital audio formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™.
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