FINAL SPECS RELEASED FOR DIGITAL HDMI LINK
Working swiftly as promised, consortium devising High- Definition Multimedia Interface(HDMI) Tues. released final Version 1.0 spec for next-generation CE digital interface. HDMI enables secure distribution of uncompressed HD video and multichannel audio on single cable, and is seen as making possible broader availability of previously unreleased premium HD content while simplifying ease of use for CE products.
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High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDMI) initiative has industry support of major movie studios Fox and Universal, satellite companies DirecTV and EchoStar, cable companies and CE manufacturers. Because DTV signals remain in digital format, HDMI assures that HD images retain highest video quality from source all the way to display. Interface combines HD video and multichannel audio on single digital link with up to 5 Gbps bandwidth. Benefits include uncompressed digital quality, fewer cables and small, 19-pin 15 mm connector suitable for wide range of CE components. HDMI capitalizes on interoperability standards created by CEA. It also supports many capabilities of AV.link interoperability protocol popular in Europe, such as control of multiple source devices through single remote pointed at DTV.
Functionally, HDMI transports uncompressed digital signal that would be difficult to place on Internet -- Thomson engineers estimate it would take 24 hours to upload 30-min. HDTV signal even using broadband connection. Nonetheless, content owners are wary of improved broadband speeds and compression technology in future, so HDCP encryption was added to protect content from unauthorized reproduction and distribution. HDMI builds on Digital Visual Interface (DVI) technology used in PC realm, but adds CE functions while maintaining backward compatibility. HDMI founders had said key technology underlying DVI also would serve as basis for new HDMI spec. Growing number of DTVs and set-top boxes on market already feature DVI connections.
Work on HDMI, which incorporates JVC’s HDCP encryption, was announced April 16 by consortium of Hitachi, Matsushita, Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson, Toshiba. Group said then it would work quickly to establish standard, and preliminary specification Version 0.9 was set June 28. With availability of final spec, manufacturers now can develop and bring to market HDMI-compliant products -- Silicon Image has forecast 6.2 million products will be in market next year. Parties interested in designing HDMI- based products can access HDMI spec at www.hdmi.org.