HDMI - Smaller Connector, Bigger Options
For the ultimate in image
quality, everyone knows that digital
connectivity blows away the old ana-
log approach. Since much of today’s
latest content is created and stored
digitally, it only makes sense that the
signal’s “digital fidelity” is preserved
all the way to your display device.
If routed properly with high quality
cables, switching and distribution
equipment, digital sources deliver
the HIGHEST possible image quality.
We’re getting closer and
closer to the day where those three
digital letters D-V-I become a house-
hold word, right? Well, not so fast.
One of the hottest new digi-
tal connectivity topics is the appear-
ance of the new HDMI (High Defini-
tion Multimedia Interface) connector
on some of the latest plasmas,
projectors and DVD players. HDMI
development is overseen by the
HDMI Working Group that includes:
Sony, Hitachi, Silicon Image, Pana-
sonic, Philips, Thomson, and Toshiba
as members. However, Pioneer has
been the
manu-
facturer-
that has
become
the catalyst
for the availability of products in the
HDMI arena. They’ve released nu-
merous plasma displays with HDMI
inputs and some of the first HDMI-
enabled DVD players.
So what exactly is HDMI?
First, the connector for the
HDMI standard is much smaller than
the DVI connector. The connector
more closely resembles a USB-type
connector than a computer video
(VGA, DVI, etc.) type connector. Sec-
ond, the HDMI spec supports digital
video over a wide range of resolu-
tions. HDMI also fully incorporates
HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Con-
tent Protection), which is designed
to minimize the piracy of digital
content, but can limit connectivity to
devices that are not HDCP compliant.
Third, HDMI supports up to 8 chan-
nels of digital audio. And fourth,
HDMI supports bi-directional remote
control using the CEC (Consumer
Electronics Control)
protocol. What is
truly powerful is
that HDMI allows
for interconnection
of sources, receiv-
ers and displays, all
using a single cable
type for digital audio,
video and control.
Though its
connector size is
smaller, HDMI has
capabilities that
go far beyond the
scope of DVI. The most important
of these capabilities is the ability to
carry digital multi-channel audio in
addition to digital video. The HDMI
specifications allow for up to 5 Gbps
bandwidth, which leaves it open
to future technology expansion, as
current uncompressed 1080i movies
only require 2.2 Gbps for both multi-
channel audio and video. Currently
most HDMI applications only take
advantage of the video capabilities,
but soon enough, you’ll see products
from many HDMI adopters that use
its high-bandwidth video AND audio
capabilities.
The HDMI standard uses
PCM digital audio which allows it to
work with other PCM audio systems
such as Toslink (optical) and digital
coaxial commonly found on consum-
er audio receivers, satellite systems
and set-top cable TV boxes.
Although HDMI contains
virtually the same DVI signal that’s
been around since 1999 and still has
the same signal routing and distribu-
tion distance limitations that beset
all digital connectivity standards, the
HDMI specification allows for signals
to be driven up to 15 meters or ap-
proximately 50 feet.
So, if everything so far con-
cerning HDMI is theoretically “better ”
than DVI, why would manufactur-
ers continue to forecast DVI based
products? There is one major reason
The Pioneer Elite PRO 1110-HD uses an HDMI
connector
HDMI Male Adapter
DVI-D Dual Male Link Adapter
Technology Connection: Issue 2 -1- October 1, 2004
© Copyright 2004 DVIGear
