What's HDMI?

Answer 1

The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is an industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. HDMI provides an interface between any compatible digital audio/video source, such as a set-top box, a DVD player, or an A/V receiver and a compatible digital audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV).

Answer 2

HDMI is a digital interface that is meant to offer better picture quality beacuse the source does not need to be converted from digital to analogue and back again.
With a DVD player or Sky an encryption process called HDCP is used so make sure your display can support this.

Answer 3

HDMI stands for High Definintion Mutimedia Interface. Most HDTV's have these inputs, HDMI delivers amazing audio and sound quality. So if you though those Red, white, yellow cables were good, try HDMI.

Answer 4

High-Definition Multimedia Interface

Answer 5

its an upgrade from component, it stand for high definiton multimedia interface. it is a type of wire that will transmit video and sound quality from your dvd player to your TV, you are probably asking because you are considering DVD player and the company's boast about the HDMI output. it is definitely good, the picture is truely HD, its like the HD channels on TV, but keep in mind that the companies neglect to mention that the cable itself cost over $100 dollars, and if your sound for your DVD player goes to a home theater system instead of your TV, you will need to buy 2

Answer 6

DHMI is the digital High def multiplex cable out put that runs to your new digh def. tv set. Or hopefully you already have noticed that computer-like plug on the back of the set and the receiver. The HDMI interface allows faster transmission of data. Mega-pixels mean lots of data. 1080i & 720i indicated the amount of data and format

Answer 7

Basically a digital interface connection that carries high def signal for video, but also carries Dolby Digital audio. Thus eliminating several connection into one connection.

Answer 8

High-Definition Multimedia Interface
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The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is an industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. HDMI provides an interface between any compatible digital audio/video source, such as a set-top box, a DVD player, or an A/V receiver and a compatible digital audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV).

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It is independent of the various DTV standards such as ATSC, and DVB(-T,-S,-C), as these are encapsulations of the MPEG data streams, which are passed off to a decoder, and output as uncompressed video data, which can be high-definition. This video data is then encoded into TMDS for transmission digitally over HDMI. HDMI also includes support for 8-channel uncompressed digital audio. Beginning with version 1.2, HDMI now supports up to 8 channels of one-bit audio. One-bit audio is what is used on Super Audio CDs.


The HDMI Connector
A HDMI (Type A) PlugThe HDMI 1.3 standard was released on 22 June 2006 and as of that date is projected to be available in consumer products by the end of 2006. HDMI 1.3 is necessary in order to output the full bitrate of the new audio formats used on HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. [1] [2]. The spec also covers a new mini connector for devices such as camcorders. [3]

The standard Type A HDMI connector has 19 pins, and a higher resolution version called Type B, has been defined, although it is not yet in common use. Type B has 29 pins, allowing it to carry an expanded video channel for use with high-resolution displays. Type-B is designed to support resolutions higher than 1080p.

Type A HDMI is backward-compatible with the single-link Digital Visual Interface (DVI-D) used on modern computer monitors and graphics cards. This means that a DVI source can drive an HDMI monitor, or vice versa, by means of a suitable adapter or cable, but the audio and remote control features of HDMI will not be available. Additionally, without support for High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) on both ends, the video quality and resolution may be artificially downgraded by the signal source to prevent the end user from viewing or especially copying restricted content. (While nearly all HDMI connections support HDCP, many DVI connections do not.) Type B HDMI is similarly backward-compatible with dual-link DVI.

The HDMI Founders include consumer electronics manufacturers Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic/National/Quasar), Philips, Sony, Thomson (RCA), Toshiba, and Silicon Image. Digital Content Protection, LLC (a subsidiary of Intel) is providing HDCP for HDMI. In addition, HDMI has the support of major motion picture producers Fox, Universal, Warner Bros., and Disney, and system operators DirecTV and EchoStar (Dish Network) as well as CableLabs and Samsung.

Contents [hide]
1 Specifications
1.1 TMDS channel
1.2 DDC channel
1.3 Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) channel (optional)
1.4 Content Protection
1.5 Connector
2 Distance limitations
3 See also
4 References
5 External links



[edit]
Specifications
[edit]
TMDS channel
Carries audio, video and auxiliary data.
Signalling method: According to DVI 1.0 spec. Single-link (Type A HDMI) or dual-link (Type B HDMI).
Video pixel rate: 25 MHz to 165 MHz (Type A) or to 330 MHz (Type B). Video formats with rates below 25 MHz (e.g. 13.5 MHz for 480i/NTSC) transmitted using a pixel-repetition scheme. Up to 24 bits per pixel can be transferred, regardless of rate. Supports 1080p60[1].
Pixel encodings: RGB 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:4:4 (8 bits per component); YCbCr 4:2:2 (12 bits per component)
Audio sample rates: 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz.
Audio channels: up to 8.
[edit]
DDC channel
Allows source to interrogate capabilities of destination device.
I²C signalling with 100 kHz clock.
E-EDID data structure according to EIA/CEA-861B and VESA Enhanced EDID (V1.3).
[edit]
Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) channel (optional)
Uses the industry standard AV Link protocol
Used for remote control functions.
One-wire bidirectional serial bus.
Defined in HDMI Specification 1.0.
[edit]
Content Protection
According to High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) Specification 1.10.
[edit]
Connector
Pin numbers (looking at socket):



Type A Connector Pin Assignment Pin Signal Assignment Pin Signal Assignment
1 TMDS Data2+ 2 TMDS Data2 Shield
3 TMDS Data2– 4 TMDS Data1+
5 TMDS Data1 Shield 6 TMDS Data1–
7 TMDS Data0+ 8 TMDS Data0 Shield
9 TMDS Data0– 10 TMDS Clock+
11 TMDS Clock Shield 12 TMDS Clock–
13 CEC 14 Reserved (N.C. on device)
15 SCL 16 SDA
17 DDC/CEC Ground 18 +5 V Power
19 Hot Plug Detect
[edit]
Distance limitations
A reported problem with HDMI is the maximum cable length. As with all cables, signal attenuation becomes too high at a certain length. For the standard HDMI copper cables at 28 AWG, some users have found signal performance degrades above a cable length of about 5 meters. For front projection televisions and computer hookups, this can result in lost data and the video device compensating in unacceptable ways.

The HDMI Web site, however, disputes the 5 meter limit. "HDMI technology has been designed to use standard copper cable construction at long lengths. In order to allow cable manufacturers to improve their products through the use of new technologies, HDMI specifies the required performance of a cable but does not specify a maximum cable length. Cable manufacturers are expected to sell reasonably priced copper cables at lengths of up to 15 meters." (from the HDMI FAQ page)

One reported way to increase the distance limit is to increase the thickness of the copper cables, effectively decreasing impedance. 24 AWG wire is considered superior to 28 AWG. Another way is to use fiber optic or dual Cat-5 cables instead of standard copper. Some companies also offer amplifiers and repeaters that can string several HDMI cables together.