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."
Re:How hard was it (Score:2, Interesting)
The purpose of capitalism is to make you think you wanted something you never wanted, then to sell it to you.
Closed captions, hello? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:why not REALLY simple? (Score:5, Interesting)
You joke, but check this from TFA:
The specifics are outlined in a 38 page document on the HDMI website. At the most basic level cables are split into 'Standard' and 'High Speed' versions. Standard cables are tested to support video up to 720p/1080i. High Speed cables on the other hand are tested to 1080p resolution. Within these categories come the inevitable subcategories. Standard is split three ways into Standard HDMI Cable, Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet and Standard Automotive HDMI cable. High Speed Cables come in two versions - High Speed HDMI Cable and High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet.
Oh noes, how are we possibly going to be able to tell which cable to buy? :0
With the exception of "Standard Automotive HDMI cable" they all seem rather good, self explanatory names to me. Much better names than just "HDMI 1.4 cable" anyway. Besides, the packaging probably will still say HDMI 1.4 somewhere..?
USB High Speed vs Full speed all over again. (Score:5, Interesting)
It's a good idea to learn from the mistakes of others who like adding confusing naming.
Re:My only question is... (Score:5, Interesting)
Or maybe just someone who actually knows what HDMI is?
Hint: It's got nothing to do with HDCP, which is what you're bitching about. HDCP is DRM on the video signal, and it works just as well over plain old DVI as HDMI.
So when I plug my laptop (with a FOSS OS and a decent p2p setup) into my external monitor, why should I deal with all the extra pins and thumb screws and sheer bulkiness of a DVI cable, compared with the convenience of HDMI? For me, HDMI is basically DVI in a better form factor.
Re:My only question is... (Score:5, Interesting)
FTFA: By unifying video and audio into a single cable manufacturers have been able to make their products easier to set up than ever before.
And you HDMI is basically DVI in a better form factor.
I'm going to disagree with both of these statements. To the first, I almost had to toss the bullshit flag.
First, by tying the audio into the cable, it really ties my hands with how I want to design my system. Perhaps I want to run the audio to a receiver or processor first instead of to my television? Well, I'll have to have a receiver that handles HDMI, or I'll have to split the audio out of the HDMI cable and send that to the receiver.
My PC has horrid issues with HDMI, since most video cards did not support audio over HDMI, you could run DVI to a HDMI port on your TV, or straight HDMI... but then your television would tell your computer that it supported Audio over HDMI and your video card (NVIDIA in this case) would turn OFF your audio ports except over HDMI, of course, since my card didn't support audio over HDMI, it just output a 0 for the audio signal. I had to hack the drivers and EDID in order to trick my computer into thinking my display couldn't support HDMI audio. Every time I want to update my drivers, I have to edit the driver. This issue has been around for years, was fixed in some driver versions, reverted in others.
This is only a problem because of the convergence of audio into HDMI, and it is only the tip of the iceberg when you consider all of the potential issues that people can encounter.
As for the connector itself...
No, I much preferred DVI (Thumbscrews were great especially if you used a laptop) HDMI has a horrid connector that puts a lot of pressure in the wrong places and is easily dislodged.
Please give me my distinct audio and video cables back, I hate having a bottleneck.
Re:Remember kids (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't expect that many of them are talking out their ass. I expect that many of them are regurgitating the meta-rectal disgorgements of others.
And I don't let them continue behaving that way. I should probably bill Best Buy for training their lamers. Fry's droids I don't even ask questions; they know more about carpet samples than computers.
Re:Yes (Score:3, Interesting)
and so will your coathanger.
and so will your coathanger.
You were probably joking, but since someone was clueless enough to mod you insightful instead of funny, let me make a quick little note here. HDMI cables transfer high frequency data, so impedance must be taken into account. Digital signals traveling a meter or two at ~200MHz are quite "versatile" and can handle being transferred over cheap wires, but if the impedance is grossly wrong, your signal will not make it to the other side in any decipherable form. Parallel non-insulated steel (lossy) wires probably aren't going to handle the signal that well.
:)
Don't forget that a coathanger should act pretty well as an EM radiator at these wavelengths.
Re:why not REALLY simple? (Score:4, Interesting)
Besides, the packaging probably will still say HDMI 1.4 somewhere..?
From the article:
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.
Which sounds to me like the HDMI license terms won't allow it to appear on the packaging.
Re:Meh... (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm guessing you are too young to have any idea about this, but you do know that computer monitors have been exceeding the HD spec since years before there was an HD spec? Furthermore the GP is right, HD isn't a video spec. It's a marketing term.
Don't be too hard on the young ones. It's kinda fun watching them flame & down-mod me, as most young people go through that stage of knowing everything before they discover how smart the old people they ignored in their youth really were as they mature.
It's almost like having millions of grand-kids, many with ADD, except no drama over holiday family dinners. :D
Strat
Re:My only question is... (Score:3, Interesting)