Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
playback of protected content, all devices (including the DVD player or set-top box, AV receiver,
and display) must support HDCP.
Besides transmitting high-quality audio and video between devices, HDMI carries additional signals.
HDMI uses the DDC to identify the capabilities of an HDMI display, such as resolutions, color depth,
and audio. DDC enables optimal playback quality on different devices. HDMI also supports the
optional consumer electronic control (CEC) feature, which enables one-button control of all CEC-
enabled devices for one-touch play or record or other features.
Table 12.11
compares the HDMI versions.
Table 12.11. HDMI Versions
Because HDMI is essentially a superset of DVI, it is backward-compatible with DVI. This means that
using a simple and inexpensive adapter, you can connect an HDMI source to a DVI display and
connect a DVI source to an HDMI display. However, unless both the source and monitor support
HDCP, you might not be able to play premium HDTV content, or the resolution might be reduced.
Although some graphics cards claimed HDCP support as early as the first part of 2006, changes in the
HDCP standard may prevent early cards from working properly. You should contact your graphics
card and monitor vendor to determine whether a particular device supports HDCP.
Current HDMI cables correspond to HDMI Type A, Type C, or Type D (introduced with HDMI 1.4).
Type A is a 19-pin connector. Type C is a smaller version of Type A, originally designed for use in
DV camcorders or other portable devices, but also used on some video cards. It uses the same pinout,
and Type A-to-Type C adapters are available from various vendors. HDMI version 1.0 also defined
a 29-pin Type B dual-link cable that has not been used in products. Type D is also a 19-pin connector
that is about half the height of Type A and less than half the width of Type A and is also shorter and
narrower than Type C connectors.
Figure 12.8
illustrates a typical HDMI Type A cable and the location of pin 1 on the cable and
connector.
