Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
8b/10bencoding,only8bitsofevery10areactualdata,resultinginatruedatathroughput
of 3.96Gbps. This enables a single-link HDMI 1.2a or earlier connection to easily handle
computer video resolutions as high as WUXGA (1920×1200) as well as 1080p HDTV
(192×1080 with progressive scan) plus audio data.
HDMI1.3increasesthemaximumclockrateto340MHz,resultingin10.2Gbpsrawband-
width, or a true data throughput of 8.16Gbps. This increase allows a single-link HDMI
connection to have slightly more throughput than a dual-link DVI connection, which
handles computer resolutions as high as WQUXGA (3840×2400) plus audio data.
HDMI 1.4 adds support for Ethernet connections through the HDMI cable, audio return,
3D Blu-ray video playback, all current as well as future resolutions up to 4096×2160,
better color spaces support, a micro-HDMI connector, new cable standards, and support
for automotive connectors. HDMI 1.4 also introduces cable speed and feature categories:
Standard (up to 1080i), High Speed (1080p), Standard HDMI with Ethernet, High Speed
HDMI with Ethernet.
HDMI 1.4a adds support for new side-by-side and top-and-bottom 3D broadcast standar-
ds.
HDMIcanalsocarryuptoeightchannelsofuncompresseddigitalaudioat24-bit/192KHz
along with Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio compressed
audio formats. Because it uses a single cable for both audio and video signals, HDMI
provides an excellent way to reduce the cabling tangle present in home theater systems
that use conventional analog audio and video cables. For home theater users who sub-
scribe to HDTV satellite or cable services, HDMI is ideal because it supports high-band-
width digital content protection (HDCP), which these services use to protect content from
piracy while still assuring high-quality viewing and listening. To avoid reduced-quality
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 addi-
tional 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 differ-
ent devices. HDMI also supports the optional consumer electronic control (CEC) feature,
whichenablesone-buttoncontrolofallCEC-enableddevicesforone-touchplayorrecord
or other features.
Table 12.11
compares the HDMI versions.
Table 12.11 HDMI Versions
