21
Oct
2011
Engadget: We’d imagine come November 13th, the above will be the scene inside many a PS3 owner’s house. That’s when Sony’s hot little 24-inch PlayStation 3D display will officially be available in the US, Canada, Europe and parts of Asia. Sony took to its US PlayStation Blog today with the news, along with a lengthy FAQ to keep your GAS at bay in the meantime. (more…)
18
Jun
2010
Cnet UK: HDMI has been a part of our life for a few years now. It enables HD video and audio to travel from an HD source, like Blu-ray to our high definition televisions. There have been several revisions, and the latest is known as HDMI 1.4. But what’s the big deal about this version?
The people most likely to care about HDMI 1.4 are those intending to buy a 3D TV and Blu-ray player. The new standard is intended to make 3D TVs a bit more user friendly by allowing televisions to auto-switch to the correct mode when they detect a 3D signal. All 3D TVs and Blu-ray players will support HDMI 1.4 from the outset, so TVs will only fail to auto-switch to 3D when being fed a signal from a Sky+HD or other set-top-box that’s essentially had 3D support added retrospectively.
HDMI 1.4 also features something known as an Audio Return Channel, or ARC. This is very handy for people who want to pass audio received by their TV back to an AV receiver. Normally, this would be accomplished with a coaxial or optical digital cable, or with a stereo RCA cable. Now, the TV can get over-the-air HD broadcasts from Freeview or freesat HD and send that Dolby Digital or LPCM audio back to your audio system.
Also present, is a full 100MB/s data capability, which will allow devices to share data with each other. In theory, this allows devices to share their internet connections with each other. So we might see AV receivers act as the only device in your entertainment system connected to an Ethernet router, and the other devices simply sharing its connection. There are other possibilities too, like devices transferring secure, HD video between each other, while still respecting copy protection.
For 3D and ARC you won’t need a new HDMI cable, although you might have trouble with low quality, cheap cables if they aren’t capable of transmitting enough data –3D is extremely data intensive, so cheap cables, that do 1080p okay, might not be able to cope with 1080p 3D. The networking functionality will definitely need a new cable though.
On the subject of HDMI 1.4 cables, everything does become a lot more confusing. With the new standard comes a total of five possible types of cable. These are standard, standard with Ethernet and standard automotive. Unless you want to connect a camcorder to your car with an HDMI cable, ignore the last one. Standard and standard with Ethernet are designed for video up 1080i, and depending on which you chose, the transmission of data. The chances are, you’ll never see a ‘standard’ cable, because it’s very unlikely to be of use to most people, and manufacturers will want to write “high speed” on their cables.
On the other hand, high speed cables will handle 1080p and up, including new formats like 4K video and 3D. There are two kinds, high speed and high speed with Ethernet. We think you can work out what the difference is.
There is also a new connector type that you may see appear. In addition to full size and mini HDMI there is now a ‘micro’ connector. Aimed at mobile phones and other tiny devices, it’s got all the functionality of its bigger brothers, but can be used where space is at a premium. Honestly, we can’t help but be annoyed that there are now three sizes of connector. This sort of thing is deeply annoying with USB cables, and it’s bound to cause problems with HDMI too.
Don’t panic, you aren’t going to need to rush out and replace all of your current cables and equipment. The advantages of HDMI 1.4 over 1.3 are significant if you’re buying new equipment, but don’t affect anyone with current hardware.
24
Dec
2009
Electronista: HDMI Licensing, the group behind the media interface specification, has announced plans to support 3D content with the upcoming HDMI spec v1.4.
The consortium will meet in January to add the “Top/Bottom” 3D format.
The group acknowledges the lack of a mandatory 3D broadcast format, leaving the standard open for further additions or modifications. HDMI 1.4 establishes protocols for several 3D display technologies including frame, line, or field alternative methods; side by side display, and 2D plus depth methods.
The new specification also features data as an essential feature, with a dedicated pipe for 100Mbps Ethernet connections. An Audio Return Channel is designed to send compressed sound through intermediary devices, while a proposed micro HDMI connector will support 1080p video for small devices.
HDMI 1.4-equipped devices are expected to be launched early in January at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
06
Aug
2009
Engadget: Cancel that next-day air shipment from Panasonic Japan, those in need of cables today that are compatible with the 4K and 3D displays of tomorrow can get NXG Technologies Black Pearl Series HDMI v1.4 cables.
Not installing cables inside a wall or under a floor? You can probably wait for more reasonably priced (or not so reasonable, if that’s what you prefer) alternatives.
At around $44.95 (€31) for 1m up to $380 (€263)for a 20m cable, these available-to-dealers-only connectors promise (despite lacking certification, promised once testing is completed) to future proof custom home theater installations for beyond-1080p resolution, HDMI Ethernet Channel, Audio Return Channel and other HDMI 1.4-only features that should start rolling out in HDTVs, receivers and other equipment early next year.
14
Jul
2009
DigiTimes: President Steve Venuti for HDMI Licensing, the agent responsible for licensing the global technology standard High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), on July 13 presented HDMI 1.4, the latest version of the standard, in Taipei, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
HDMI 1.4, among other advancements, offers networking capabilities with Ethernet connectivity and add Audio Return Channel to enable upstream audio connections via HDMI cable, according to the HDMI Licensing website.
19
May
2009
Electronista: The HDMI Licensing group today provided further details of the HDMI 1.4 spec that will have data become a core feature of the video standard. The technology will add a new pipe known as the HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) that can supply up to a 100Mbps Ethernet connection between the device host and others that recognize the format.
The approach will let two compatible devices share information without requiring a separate cable and is suggested both as a way of networking close-by devices as well as sharing content across multiple rooms.
The technology also brings a reverse-direction path for sound known as the Audio Return Channel (ARC) that can handle compressed surround sound through an intermediary device, such as a home theater receiver, without requiring a separate optical audio cable. Future video support is also built in with the ability to handle resolutions up to 4K (4096×2160), 3D and the same color spaces as digital still cameras.
A recently proposed micro HDMI connector will be part of the 1.4 format and allow up to 1080p video from very small devices, including portable media players and compact cameras.
The combined technology is expected to significantly overhaul the approach to home media serving, particularly for networked media devices, and may also help future computers that could use the extra networking and audio features.
Samples of HDMI 1.4-equipped chipsets ship before the end of the spring and should result in finished products sometime within 2010.