HDMI Labeling Requirements Promise a Stew of Confusion 396
An anonymous reader writes "In many ways HDMI has revolutionized the way we connect devices. By unifying video and audio into a single cable manufacturers have been able to make their products easier to set up than ever before. Until recently there hasn't actually been much difference in HDMI cables. But things are about to get confusing with the introduction of HDMI 1.4. By the 1st of January 2012 manufacturers of products with HDMI ports won't actually be able to call HDMI 1.4 by its real name. In fact, come November 18 this year those selling cables won't be able to use HDMI 1.4 or HDMI 1.3 to delineate between different products. Instead cables that support version 1.4 of the HDMI standard will have to use one of five different labels. The new labels? Well, as this story explains, they're going to cause a new level of confusion for anyone hooking up a home cinema. Add to this the fact that the HDMI organisation keeps the details of its specifications secret, and translation between version numbering and marketing-speak will be well nigh impossible."
My only question is... (Score:5, Funny)
Yes (Score:5, Funny)
Somebody at Monster Cable... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Remember kids (Score:5, Funny)
1) My Playstation3 was not going to look as good on the $20 cable, because all the colors could not go through the cheaper cable fast enough.
2) The more expensive cable uses a better conductor metal for "better frequency".
*I don't really fault an employee that's making $8 an hour with no commission for talking out his ass, I just thought this was funny.
Re:My only question is... (Score:5, Funny)
Why take the chance. Just buy the new $800 version and you'll be good to go!
8-)
Re:Remember kids (Score:1, Funny)
Did you ask him what the speed of unladen European colors are through the cheaper cabling?
Re:And what will future versions be called? (Score:5, Funny)
In a few years presumably some even higher bandwidth specification will come along - no problem if they used version-numbers, but once you have labelled the first generation "standard" and the current generation "High Speed" what're you going to be left with to use next and not end up looking stupid?
"new higher speed", "max speed", "ultimate speed", "super more ultimate than ultimate speed", "I Can't believe its not high speed... speed"?
Ludicrous Speed
Re:My only question is... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Somebody at Monster Cable... (Score:5, Funny)
Monster doesn't have a CFO. CFOs are for companies that have a chance of a negative unit margin on a product. Monster just has a shovel and a vault.
Re:My only question is... (Score:5, Funny)
I think that Denon cable is even better than my now previous favorite, - Best buy sells a fiber optic patch cord with gold connectors to enhance signal quality. Wow.
Re:My only question is... (Score:5, Funny)
No. Using cables labeled "HDMI 1.3" instead of "Standard Speed" will result in rounded harmonics on the peak voicing pressures of cross-coupled sound space reproductions.
The new cables are made with labelling technology that accesses the uppermost reaches of gullibility distortion, ensuring that your credulous experience is the highest quality known to science.
The waiting list is open, and financing is available.
Re:why not REALLY simple? (Score:2, Funny)
Because many TVs have sockets labelled HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HMDI 3, etc - and people would think they needed a different type of cable for each one.
Re:Remember kids (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Remember kids (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Remember kids (Score:5, Funny)
I would have asked him how a passive cable knows which bits in the stream are the colors.
A prism's also passive, and it knows how to separate colors. The wires just do the same thing, right?
Re:why not REALLY simple? (Score:3, Funny)
I bought the cheapest cables that Best Buy offered and haven't had any problems.
You spent $60 on an HDMI cable?
Forget 1.5 (Score:3, Funny)
HDMI Lineup:
1.4 - High Speed
1.5 - Full Speed
1.6 - "It goes to plaid."
Re:My only question is... (Score:3, Funny)
Don't forget that you can buy the same cable for $2500 on Amazon [amazon.com](*), after all, the more expensive the better.
(*) Spoiler: Read the reviews. All of them.