GB HDMI – HD, HDMI Cable and HDMI over IP

Get ready for version 1.4 with the latest spec HDMI cable!

HDMI cables have been around for a few years now, but the full potential of HDMI has yet to be realised. With the release of the 1.4 HDMI cable specification, greater image and sound functionality plus more flexibility with networking capabilities is introduced to your home or commercial AV setup.

HDMI 1.4 is better! Here’s why…

1. HDMI Ethernet Channel

Perhaps one of the most important (and most useful) of the new improvements is the HDMI Ethernet Channel. This is a data link that enables high speed, bi-directional communication. This means that a source can send data to a display and at the same time a display can send data to the source. Compatible devices can send a receive data using 100Mb/sec Ethernet – this makes them instantly ready for any IP-based application. The HDMI Ethernet Channel allows internet-enabled HDMI devices to share and Internet connection using the link, with no need for a separate Ethernet cable. With more and more devices utilizing Internet based features, this cable feature will reduce the number of cable’s needed to make your devices work to their full potential importantly ease the cable clutter. It also provides the platform that will allow HDMI-enabled components to share content between devices. Compatibility includes TCP/IP, UPnP, DLNA and LiquidHD.

To utilise this feature a new type of HDMI cable is required to be used. This new cable is called either a High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet or a Stadard HDMI Cable with Ethernet.

Nice and simple. Finding the right HDMI Cable just became a lot more easier - look out for these logos when you purchase your HDMI Cables.

2. Audio Return Channel

Another welcome addition to the new HDMI spec, this feature reduces the number of cables required to deliver audio from the TV to an AV receiver for processing and playback. This is a very useful new feature because many TVs now have an internal content source such as a Freeview or Freesat tuner built-in – the Audio Return Channel on the HDMI allows the TV to send data to the receiver using the HDMI cable and removes the necessity for a separate audio cable such as an optical cable.

3. 3D over HDMI

Everybody is talking about 3D at the moment and the new spec defines common 3D formats and resolutions for HDMI-enabled devices, enabling 3D gaming and other 3D video applications. The new spec standardises the connection for a 3D home cinema system, facilitating 3D resolutions up to dual-stream 1080p (that’s 3D 1080p basically).

4. 4K x 2K Resolution Support

If you think 1080p is awesome, imagine it four times sharper! Support for 4K x 2K allows the HDMI cable to carry the digital content transmission at the same resolution as the most state-of-the-art Digital Cinema systems used in many cinemas. Formats supported include 3,840 x 2,160 pixels at 24Hz, 25Hz & 30Hz, and 4,096 x 2160 pixels at 24Hz. Forget 1080p, think 4096p!

5. Expanded support for Colour Spaces

This feature means that Digital Camera Pictures and still images should display more accurate colours on displays with the upgraded format capability. If you’re into your photography you will be familiar with sYCC601, Adobe RGB and Adobe YCC601. If you are not, then put simply your holiday snaps should look even better!

Make sure you make the right HDMI cable purchase, make an investment for the future. Choose infinius High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet. Indisputably top-spec, its the perfect future-ready cable partner for your set-up.

It is true to say that buying a HDMI Cable can leave some people scratching their heads. With so many versions and variances between cable types – it’s hard to know which cable type actually does what, and most importantly, what benefit it has for the consumer. Recent changes from HDMI Licensing means that particular trouble may be a thing of the past.

With terms floating around such as Version 1.2, 1.3, 1.3b, Category 1, Category 2, High Speed and Standard Speed it can become very confusing if all you want to do is to connect your Blu-ray player to your HDTV.

In an effort to make it easier for customers to identify the right products for their needs, HDMI Licensing on behalf of the HDMI Founders, have released an updated version of the HDMI Adopted Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines.

Nice and simple. Finding the right HDMI Cable just became a lot more easier - look out for these logos when you purchase your HDMI Cables.

Most notably, the amendments place significant restrictions on the use of the version numbers and address how HDMI Cables should be marketed. These new requirements are designed to simplify the selection process putting more weight on the features of the cable rather than having to research what each version actually does.

According to the new guidelines, HDMI adopters will no longer be allowed to use HDMI specification version numbers in the labelling, packaging, or promotion of their HDMI-compliant products. These restrictions go into effect immediately for cable products. Noncable products, however, have until January 1, 2012, to fully comply.

The new guidelines designate all HDMI cable products into five types:

• Standard HDMI cable
• Standard HDMI cable with Ethernet
• Standard automotive HDMI cable
• High-speed HDMI cable
• High-speed HDMI cable with Ethernet

For more information about these new cable types – we recommend visiting www.hdcable.co.uk.

The first problem we hit here is the term ‘expensive’. The problem is, expense is an individual’s idea of cost and a personally held viewpoint, because it is a subjective term, there is wide varying opinion from one consumer to the next about what classifies a product as being ‘expensive’.

It is true to say that most HDMI cable manufacturers are feeding you a line about the necessity of spending upwards of £50-£100 on relatively short cable lengths. There is definitely too much misinformation and smoke and mirrors being fed to consumers in big name retail stores and in big name advertising. You only have to look on a few forums to find a whole mountain of well-informed people rightly shouting the facts about the true nature of HDMI and condemning the profiteers essentially ripping customers off.

What do I need to look out for in a good HDMI Cable then?

Good design and manufacturing quality are important in every product, whether that be a bin bag or a cable, we all know that super cheap no frills products can often leave us despairing, especially when the bottom of your bag drops out or your cable finally breaks down just as your sitting down to watch your eagerly anticipated blu-ray release on your new (not to mention expensive) HDTV.

In competitive markets there will always be a wide spectrum of varying prices and quality of products. You can buy a HDMI cable for as little as 99p or as expensive as £200. The crazy thing is it is entirely possible that a short length 99p cable will give just as good a picture quality as the £200 HDMI cable. This is down to the nature of HDMI being a lossless digital signal. The bombshell here for the uninformed is that digital HD video images such as those produced by your PS3, Satellite HD box or blu-ray player cannot have varying grades of picture quality between two cables, this is technically impossible.

Of course, a 99p cable is unlikely to have a decent build quality or be made from good quality materials. It may not last you very long but it is good to use it as an example when explaining the nature of HDMI.

We recommend www.hdcable.co.uk’s HDMI cables range starting at £8.99 and believe that their offering promotes great value for money. A quick look around their website will show that they are well-made, durable, use high quality materials, incorporating a high specification, with version 1.3 device support and fully certified by the HDMI authority.

That’s a like-for-like product for under £10 that most well known retailers will be selling for at least 3 times as much! With delivery included and a lifetime replacement warranty, its a deal not worth missing!

So would a short length HDMI cable priced over £50 represent a false economy? In our opinion. Yes.

In our opinion, the key things to look out for when buying a HDMI cable are as follows.