----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
Tom,
I responded to your original email on the 14, it appeared on the Forum tips and also on the tips
list (below), but it seems your account was affected by the recent situation as Shane explained.
Below is my response (of the 14th) of your original email, I did not check if you added or changed
content on your question of today, please let me know if I did not cover all the bases.
Best Regards,
Rodolfo La Maestra
-----Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
Rodolfo La Maestra
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 12:51 AM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: Re: HDMI - evolving standards
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
Tom,
Since the era of the two channels stereo the audio CE industry has been subjected to "upgrade to
have the new feature" approach, but also trying to maintain backward compatibility to use the
existing equipment at its best by downmixing newer multichannel formats, connectors keep growing in
the back panels of the main audio piece of most consumer HTs, the receiver, but also on pre/pros.
HDMI 1.3 specs include the lossless DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD at their 18Mbps max, and also the
extended version of DTS-HD: Master Audio at max 24 Mbps (although it is not said in the spec it
does).
Having a new spec released does not mean that your HDMI suited receiver would automatically have
those capabilities, the chip installed within that receiver has to be compliant, if the chip is
older than the spec one can not expect for it to have the new features, but even soon to be released
receivers could still use chips that a manufacturer could have chosen to install for their reasons
and one should not assume that those features will be there.
One way to have an idea of the version # spec compliance of the installed chip could be noting if
the DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD logo is at the front panel, which would mean that the receiver would have
the ability to decode those lossless codecs, which would tell you that the receiver input/s have the
ability to receive the streamed DTS-HD and/or Dolby True HD from a hi-def player, which would mean
an HDMI 1.3 compliant chip was installed on the back panel (1.2 would not be capable of that, much
less 1.1).
I know how frustrating is that the industry keep changing so many self replacing multi-channel audio
codecs. Part of the problem is that every move Dolby does, DTS makes another, then Dolby makes
another. Is good to have competition but some times competition makes certain areas of the industry
look ridiculous, not to mention expensive to consumers.
On the section I dedicated to Multi-channel audio on the report I started my analysis section in a
less professional way after several exchanges I had with the inventors of these never ending
"now-beat-this" codecs, as follows:
"My first human reaction: How many more multi-channel audio formats a consumer needs? How many
more connections, A/V receivers, and audio-processors a consumer needs to continuously upgrade in
this multi-channel matrix/discrete, lossy/lossless, low-bit/hi-bit, 5/6/7.1 marathon? How many
consumers actually invest beyond 5.1 low-bit lossy because they find a difference their ears and
pockets justify as considerable benefit? Where is the significant content with more channels to
justify more decoding/amps/speakers at a legacy 5.1 consumer's home? "
The section is quite comprehensive and after reading it one could feel the urge to try these new
formats, or the depression of not been able to catch up with it, or both but still upgrading.
Although there are several pieces of equipment out there that are offered with future upgradeability
by the manufacturer (by replacing cards for example) Silicon Image did not disclose any
upgradeability plans.
Upon your request the HDMI spec 1.3 is as follows:
-------------------------------------------------
HDMI Version 1.3
-----------------
In January 2006, the seven HDMI founders announced the key capabilities under development for the
next version of HDMI targeted for the first half of 2006. The version includes support for deep
color, higher speed, and easier integration into personal computers.
Those capabilities under development for HDMI include:
-- Higher speed: Though HDMI has more than twice the bandwidth needed to
support all HDTV formats, HDMI will increase its single-link bandwidth to
support the demands of future HD display devices, such as higher
resolutions, deep color, and high frame rates.
-- Deep color: HDMI will support 30-bit, 36-bit, and 48-bit color depths for
stunning rendering of over one billion colors in unprecedented detail.
-- Greater PC/CE convergence: HDMI will be enhanced for easier integration into
low voltage, AC-coupled PC graphics controllers, cementing HDMI's position as
the de facto standard digital multimedia interface enabling true convergence
cross PC and CE platforms. The HDMI Founders also support compatibility
between HDMI and the Unified Display Interface (UDI), the HDMI-compatible
digital video interface for PC displays announced recently by a group of leading
PC technology makers.
-- New mini connector: With small portable devices such as HD camcorders and
still cameras demanding seamless HDTV connectivity, HDMI will offer a new,
smaller form-factor connector option. Since HDMI offers the highest quality
digital audio and video on a single connection, such devices will be also benefit
from a reduced connector count.
-- Lip Sync: CE devices are employing increasingly complex digital signal
processing of high-resolution video and audio formats to enhance the clarity and
detail of the content. As a result, synchronization of video and audio in user
devices has become a greater challenge and could potentially require complex
end-user adjustments. HDMI will incorporate features to enable this
synchronization to be done automatically by the devices with greater accuracy.
-- New compressed audio formats: In addition to HDMI's current ability to
support high-bandwidth uncompressed digital audio and all
currently-available compressed formats (such as Dolby Digital and DTS),
HDMI will add additional support for new compressed digital audio formats
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD.
Products implementing these new versions of the HDMI specification will continue to be fully
backward compatible with earlier HDMI products.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Regards,
Rodolfo La Maestra
-----Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
Thomas B Kemp
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2006 9:50 PM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: HDMI - evolving standards
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
What is the method to update to the latest level of the HDMI spec? Does
this mean to get to the latest level that you would have to by a new a/v
receiver, HDMI switch, HD-DVD /Blu-Ray player, etc. or does some of this
previously mentioned gear or some manufacturers have the ability to do
something like a firmware upgrade to get to the latest level? Let's assume
that the "new" level of the HDMI spec has the ability to process lossless
audio or some new feature that you just can't live without. What are your
real options? IF the firmware upgrade option is not currently available is
that's what's coming in the future or will we have to simply buy new gear
to get to that next "can't live without" level?
I realize that I am asking this question with no understanding of what
functions/capabilities exist in the current HDMI standard or announced
future plans for the HDMI standard and I am generalizing the hell out of
this question and probably asking it the wrong way but I think that you
know what I am after.
Thanks,
Tom
Be slow to attribute to malice what can be simply explained by ignorance or
stupidity.
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