That’s exciting but contemplate this and tell me what you all think.

Is this industry (A & V) loosing their minds during the current and future digital connectivity wars? Or Am I imagining or not fully understanding the implications of what the current upgrade fever is blinding us all to.

Ultimately we all want the latest best quality connection between our audio and video purchases. Life was SO much simpler as we were all slowly upgrading from the big…only 3 choices. Composite, S-Video, Component. And analog coaxial to digital optical/coaxial.

Now read this: http://www.hdmi.org/press/release_120902.asp

HDMI FOUNDERS HITACHI, MATSUSHITA (PANASONIC), PHILIPS, SILICON IMAGE, SONY, THOMSON AND TOSHIBA RELEASE FINAL HDMI 1.0 SPECIFICATION AMID BROAD INDUSTRY SUPPORT

High-Definition Multimedia Interface Provides Access to Higher-Quality Digital Content

SUNNYVALE, Calif., December 9, 2002 - High-Definition Multimedia Interface™ (HDMI™) Founders Hitachi, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics, Silicon Image, Sony Corporation, Thomson, and Toshiba Corporation today released the final 1.0 specification for HDMI, the next-generation digital interface for consumer electronics. HDMI enables the secure distribution of uncompressed high-definition video and multi-channel audio in a single cable, providing consumers with a broader array of high-quality digital content while dramatically simplifying ease of use.

With the availability of the HDMI v 1.0 Specification, manufacturers can now develop and bring to market HDMI-compliant products to usher in a new era of previously unreleased, premium high-definition content. The HDMI initiative enjoys broad industry support from major motion picture producers Fox and Universal, satellite companies DIRECTV and EchoStar, cable companies, and consumer electronics manufacturers. Because digital television (DTV) signals remain in digital format, HDMI assures that pristine high-definition images retain the highest video quality from the source all the way to the display.

HDMI combines high-definition video and multi-channel audio in a single digital interface with a bandwidth of up to 5 Gigabits/second. Benefits include uncompressed digital quality, fewer cables and a small, user-friendly connector suitable for a wide range of CE components. In addition, HDMI capitalizes on the interoperability standards created by the CEA and supports many of the capabilities of the AV.link interoperability protocol popular in Europe, such as control of multiple source devices through a single remote pointed at the DTV. HDMI with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology solves the issue of protecting high-value content from unauthorized reproduction and distribution.

"As digital media forms a bigger piece of the consumer entertainment experience, many users are overwhelmed by the complexity of interconnecting all the pieces," explained Steve Kleynhans, vice president, META Group. "HDMI, as an industry standard, will provide some measure of relief while providing the quality users have come to demand, encouraging the adoption of new types of digital entertainment."

A growing number of DTVs and set-top boxes on the market today already feature Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connections. HDMI builds upon the capabilities of DVI, adding a number of attractive new features designed specifically for consumer electronics applications while maintaining full backward compatibility.

Parties interested in designing HDMI-based products may access the HDMI 1.0 Specification at www.hdmi.org

About the HDMI Founders
Comprised of Hitachi, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics, Silicon Image, Sony Corporation, Thomson and Toshiba Corporation, the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Founders have joined together to define a next-generation digital interface specification for consumer electronics products. HDMI is also supported by major motion picture producers, as well as satellite and cable companies. For more information about the HDMI specification and the HDMI Founders, visit www.hdmi.org
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This all sounds thrilling -DVI and Firewire (vapor wear for so long) finally showing up on the floors. But IF audio pushes towards Firewire and displays push towards DVI now (HDMI) (and those are two very big ifs as they are all flip-flopping at the moment). With hugh arguments already going on in forums concerning the fact that this is NOT backward compatible to plain Vanilla DVI as soon as the Analogue digital is cut off


If the displays ramp (as many latest articles suggest) towards all the big manufactories placing DVI (I beleve DirectTV trying to require it) on ALL current and near future built sets. (Have you noticed how rare it is to have multi capable DTV units on the market., either it does not appear to be cost effective or possibly creates engineering difficulties in fitting it all in and lockout problems in accessing one Vs the other?) .

If they place DVI they DON’T place 1394 on the same unit, It might have RGB or Component or Composite. So thousands of the these units hit the floors are sequentially purchased then audio comes along just recently toying with ‘dangling’ the upgradistis feature of 1394 in front of everyone (particularly in Receiver models offered) due to the audio hype that’s trickles to lay people. “Yes, of course this receiver features firewire” (That thing they don’t understand very well but have been led to believe they need in any respectable current feature list)

But then all the displays are launching to market with DVI/HDMI, the forums start raising Cain why can’t they get there audio and video units with direct connectivity to each other. And the stink causes audio to react by dumping DVI audio capable units out in their next release?

Am I wrong? Is this train moving 2 directions and the two keep missing each other as each side’s current model connectivity choices flip-flop between which output/input is going to be offered for just this 6 months???

In other words you do rush out and buy the latest 1394 equipped Audio unit, you rush out and buy the latest DVI equipped display, your back to connecting video through your components outputs. (And be sure to watch out and not buy the STB with RGB/1394/ and composite connections (they are out there) or you’ve just lost your optimum (or at times even possible) routing and you have a nightmare sorting your DVI display.

I’m still twisting my brain around all these possible variables, but I have a question I don’t know off the top of my head and just thought of. Is component video ( I perceive it becoming the fallback position for this mess at the moment) even capable of passing digital feeds when analog digital video signals are no longer sent OTA (NTSB etc)? Isn’t component cabling analog based?

So if you just bought the setup I described in the last paragraph, your going to have big problems (potential for lack of capability to receive any feed?)


[This message has been edited by Smart Little Lena (edited December 14, 2002).]