HDMI upgrades

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Tom,

Just to give you another perspective to your concern.

Can you do a flash update of your MPEG-2 DirecTV or Dish network STB to make them able to receive
MPEG-4? NO

Would an over-the-air ATSC MPEG-2 set-top-box be able to receive MPEG-4 if a broadcaster decides to
send you 1080p MPEG-4 if that even happens? (not in the ATSC standard). NO.

Voom planned to implement their MPEG-4 upgrade by changing the card, that never flew because by the
time they were about to do it Dish network bought them. That upgrade was planned that way,
unfortunately the ones that plan well have to close, the irony of corporate life.

There are implementations of features and upgrades that require physical changes on chips, cards, or
parts.

Many of the so called upgradeable receivers and pre/pros are offered with the understanding that
video or sound boards/cards would require replacement by a dealer or an authorized service.

Many of the upgrades on my Theta pre/pro require replacement of cards and even adding external
components (like the six-shooter for DVD-Audio), some in the range of $3000, it is like a computer,
some could be made via firmware, some you have to send the unit in, some a dealer can do.

Ultimately, one has the choice to not do the upgrade, and not pay, the units that are not
ungreadable would require full replacement.

Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra


-----Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
Thomas B Kemp
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 6:31 AM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: HDMI upgrades


----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Rodolfo:

Thanks for the comprehensive, as usual, explanation of HDMI and the new
level of 1.3. Other than the ability to use a smaller connector if
desired, the new 1.3 spec shouldn't require a new cable, correct?

I still don't see why, other than it would eliminate a continuing source of
revenue, the manufacturers could not implement HDMI via firmware with the
ability to upgrade it with a flash update. Is it really that much more
complicated than all of the things that we can upgrade now via flash updates?

Thanks,
Tom

Be slow to attribute to malice what can be simply explained by ignorance or
stupidity.




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----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Thomas - most 'chips' start out life as a generic processor with software
running on top of them to emulate whatever protocol is being developed. Once
the bugs are fixed and the system fine tuned, it is turned into big bucks
are spent to 'spin' a hardware version, called an ASIC (application specific
integrated circuit). They are specifically designed to do a certain task and
can rarely (if ever) be programmed to do something even a little bit
different. My guess is that the processing needed for the vast amount of
data that HDMI can support is far higher than would have been allowed in a
generic processor, so an ASIC used, which would eliminate the firmware
upgrades.

I'm by no means a microprocessor expert, but having worked in the storage
networking industry for a number of years, I've had quite a bit of
experience with startup companies making a new rev of chip every time the
wind blows.

Jason

-----Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
Thomas B Kemp
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 5:31 AM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: HDMI upgrades

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Rodolfo:

Thanks for the comprehensive, as usual, explanation of HDMI and the new
level of 1.3. Other than the ability to use a smaller connector if
desired, the new 1.3 spec shouldn't require a new cable, correct?

I still don't see why, other than it would eliminate a continuing source of
revenue, the manufacturers could not implement HDMI via firmware with the
ability to upgrade it with a flash update. Is it really that much more
complicated than all of the things that we can upgrade now via flash
updates?

Thanks,
Tom

Be slow to attribute to malice what can be simply explained by ignorance or
stupidity.




To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]

To receive the digest mode (one email a day made from all posted that same
day) send an email to:
[email protected]


To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]

To receive the digest mode (one email a day made from all posted that same day) send an email to:
[email protected]