HDMI 1.3 by Michael LaBorde
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:02 pm
"HDMI 1.3 is creating all kinds of confusion. Here are some facts. HDMI 1.3 primarily specifies wider bandwidth for HDMI connections. In theory, this wider bandwidth enables a lot of new things, such as supporting the transmission of a wider color spectrum between a game console or high definition DVD player to a TV or the transmission of the digital audio stream for Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. But, here's the kicker. The mere presence of an HDMI connection does not mean that feature is truly enabled on your TV or other device. For instance at least some TVs that have HDMI 1.3 do not have the color capabilities to support the wider color spectrum (which is not an issue right now since there is no software that supports it either.) There are receivers that have HDMI 1.3 inputs but do not decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD meaning that transmitting a TrueHD audio stream to the receiver is useless. Now, it is possible that some of these receivers may be able to have their decoding software updated in the future to do this decoding but, there are no guarantees of that."
"Secondly, for the features of HDMI 1.3 to be enabled both the source input and the target output device have to support that feature."
"Any string of HDMI connected devices is reduced to the level of the lowest release device. Connecting that HDMI 1.1 or 1.2 DVD player to your HDMI 1.3 TVs limits that TV to whatever 1.2 enable."
"The bottom line is that just getting an HDMI 1.3 connector on a device does not guarantee that device will now or in the future support the new capabilities that HDMI 1.3 was enabled to deliver. Some will and some won't. HDMI 1.3 seems to be more about marketing hype right now than anything else. Caveat emptor."
"HDMI 1.3 is a lot like having a car with a 180 mph speedometer. It doesn't necessarily mean you can really go that fast."
"Secondly, for the features of HDMI 1.3 to be enabled both the source input and the target output device have to support that feature."
"Any string of HDMI connected devices is reduced to the level of the lowest release device. Connecting that HDMI 1.1 or 1.2 DVD player to your HDMI 1.3 TVs limits that TV to whatever 1.2 enable."
"The bottom line is that just getting an HDMI 1.3 connector on a device does not guarantee that device will now or in the future support the new capabilities that HDMI 1.3 was enabled to deliver. Some will and some won't. HDMI 1.3 seems to be more about marketing hype right now than anything else. Caveat emptor."
"HDMI 1.3 is a lot like having a car with a 180 mph speedometer. It doesn't necessarily mean you can really go that fast."