New HDMI 1.4 spec could lead to consumer confusion
As if buying all new high definition equipment wasn’t already confusing enough, the people behind HDMI seem determined to make you pull your hair out.
HDMI Licensing, LLC, the company that determines the specifications of the HDMI standard, are set to release HDMI 1.4 on June 30th, and it could very well be the most confusing thing to ever happen to setting up a home theater. When the new cables are released on the world, you’re going to need to read the packaging very carefully because there are now going to be five different versions of the same cable.
The first thing you should know is that more than likely the high definition television you currently have in your home has HDMI 1.3 ports, so your TV will be obsolete by the end of June. This doesn’t mean it will magically stop working, but it may make buying future equipment a bit more difficult, and it will certainly make buying new cables a larger pain. With HDMI 1.4 you will now need to choose between HDMI Ethernet Channel, Audio Return Channel, 3D Over HDMI, 4K x 2K Resolution Support and a new Automotive HDMI.
To explain what all of these new cables and specifications will do, it is probably best to let the official explanations from the press release do all the talking.
• HDMI Ethernet Channel
The HDMI 1.4 specification will add a data channel to the HDMI cable and will enable high-speed bi-directional communication. Connected devices that include this feature will be able to send and receive data via 100 Mb/sec Ethernet, making them instantly ready for any IP-based application.The HDMI Ethernet Channel will allow an Internet-enabled HDMI device to share its Internet connection with other HDMI devices without the need for a separate Ethernet cable. The new feature will also provide the connection platform to allow HDMI-enabled devices to share content between devices.
• Audio Return Channel
The new specification will add an Audio Return Channel that will reduce the number of cables required to deliver audio upstream for processing and playback. In cases where HDTVs are directly receiving audio and video content, this new Audio Return Channel allows the HDTV to send the audio stream to the A/V receiver over the HDMI cable, eliminating the need for an extra cable.• 3D Over HDMI
The 1.4 version of the specification will define common 3D formats and resolutions for HDMI-enabled devices. The specification will standardize the input/output portion of the home 3D system and will specify up to dual-stream 1080p resolution.• 4K x 2K Resolution Support
The new specification will enable HDMI devices to support high-definition (HD) resolutions four times beyond the resolution of 1080p. Support for 4K x 2K will allow the HDMI interface to transmit content at the same resolution as many digital theaters.Formats supported include:
- 3840×2160 24Hz/25Hz/30Hz
- 4096×2160 24Hz• Expanded Support For Color Spaces
HDMI technology now supports color spaces designed specifically for digital still cameras. By supporting sYCC601, Adobe RGB and AdobeYCC601, HDMI-enabled display devices will be capable of reproducing more accurate life-like colors when connected to a digital still camera.• Micro HDMI Connector
The Micro HDMI Connector is a significantly smaller 19-pin connector that supports up to 1080p resolutions for portable devices. This new connector is approximately 50% smaller than the size of the existing HDMI Micro Connector.• Automotive Connection System
The Automotive Connection System is a cabling specification designed to be used as the basis for in-vehicle HD content distribution. The HDMI 1.4 specification will provide a solution designed to meet the rigors and environmental issues commonly found in automobiles, such as heat, vibration and noise. Using the Automotive Connection System, automobile manufactures will now have a viable solution for distributing HD content within the car.
While all of this sounds exciting, it also sounds like it will be an “either or” type choice for the consumer. For instance, you can have Ethernet, but not 3D? That is not totally clear.
It is certainly nice to see them striving to make HDMI the best possible connection it can be, but it also makes me feel a bit left out as a consumer. While I have a very nice HD TV, and not one I see myself giving up any time soon, I feel like I may be left in the dust of new Blu-ray players, gaming systems and audio equipment because I have 1.3 connections instead of 1.4. Some day electronics companies are going to have to realize we aren’t all made of money.
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May 31st, 2009
HDMI seems to be trying to stretch the ageing DVI standard to it’s breaking point. DisplayPort specifications already have some of these “new” HDMI 1.4 features including 3D and 4Kx2K.
What DisplayPort doesn’t already have can easily be added given it’s use of micro-packet based messaging.
Also, HDMI still seems to be lacking any support for fiber in the standard.
May 31st, 2009
Thats because the HDMI people get paid for every hdmi port on a device, the more ports & cable licensing fees the more money for them. If they didnt follow an update schedule there would be less reason for people to go out and buy new devices.
May 31st, 2009
HDMI is not about the benefiting the consumer with better technology. It is all about screwing the consumer. And they know consumers are sheep and that they will keep buying additional products to make it work and put up with the DRM.
May 31st, 2009
HDMI is a horrible system. its buggy like no other because of hdcp. why even bother with the cable anymore when everyone just want it to be wireless.
May 31st, 2009
Its not too much worse than the USB mess we now have.
May 31st, 2009
I personally wonder if the ps3 will make this change go the way of the blu-ray live debut, ( you know, when the ps3 was the only blu-ray live player on the market for about a month). Can sony give new firmware so the port on the ps3 can perform some, if not all, of hdmi1.4′s new functions(minus automotive). Is it not just hardware, and would they then have the market cornered for a time being again.
May 31st, 2009
Everytime I’ve seen a standards body do something this stupid, it has resulted in the death of the standard. Why don’t we ever learn?
June 1st, 2009
Just wait another few years; they’ll bring out another ‘standard’ that lacks backward compatibility. At this point, if it doesn’t have several full resolution HDTV component A/V connections, I won’t even consider buying it. HDMI is worthless, no matter what connector it’s using this week.
June 2nd, 2009
Ummmm….why aren’t we just using optical fiber wire for everything? TOSHLINK is still one of the fastest connections around? seriously whats the point of 19 freaking pins? It made sense way back when…but even a 2 I/O fiber connection can do 500Mb/s which is more then a 40Mb/s bluray would ever need. TMDS is outdated technology that should be replaced.
June 2nd, 2009
Yeah, I don’t care about 1.4 because my TV, blue-ray and computer don’t support it.
June 3rd, 2009
“I feel like I may be left in the dust of new Blu-ray players, gaming systems and audio equipment because I have 1.3 connections instead of 1.4. Some day electronics companies are going to have to realize we aren’t all made of money.”
Sean, some day consumers have to realize that you don’t need to upgrade every time a new little feature comes out.
June 5th, 2009
I think there’s some confusion here. Keep in mind that just like 1.2 -> 1.3, this is just setting standardization for new functionality – in the same cable type – with complete backward compatibility. A 1.4 compliant cable will work with a 1.3 system, and components can be mixed and matched between revisions with no real penalty. For example, if you get a new 3d blu-ray player in a year that uses 1.4, you can still use your existing 1.3 cable, existing 1.3 tv, etc., you just won’t be able to use the new features (i.e., 3d). If you WANT to add the 3d support, feel free to buy a new TV. How is having more options (while keeping those options completely backward compatible) a bad thing?
June 9th, 2009
@Richard:
“I think there’s some confusion here. Keep in mind that just like 1.2 -> 1.3, this is just setting standardization for new functionality – in the same cable type – with complete backward compatibility.”
This is incorrect. There is essentially no backward compatibility due to the new (smaller) connector. *Perhaps* an adaptor will allow such compatibility. Either way, this will likely push the new 3D standard (to be established this year) to utilize 1.4, which means that all current equipment will likely be obsolete in a major way.
September 16th, 2009
A new HDMI standard 1.4 is pretty excellent, since it has an integrated Ethernet channel and 4K resolution images. It seems high-speed bi-directional communication. I also will add an Audio Return Channel to enable upstream audio connections via the HDMI cable.
December 17th, 2009
Will 1.4 fit into the 1.3 input???? Yes or No.
January 4th, 2010
@David Hutchison
This article is somewhat old. Your answer is “yes”. HDMI V1.4 cables are fully backwards compatible with HDMI V1.3 inputs. glow was confused. The V1.4 spec adds a smaller connector as an option so that cell phones or other small devices can use HDMI. You would need to purchase a special cable to get the smaller connector.
January 7th, 2010
Connector size for TV’s is exactly the same. 1.4 is fully backward compatible. Like Exclamation point said , the specification offers an additional size option for mobile devices and automotive uses. 1.4 will work with old devices!
July 21st, 2010
Somehow it doesn’t work. I have DVD player Sony DVP-NC85H with HDMI output, projector Epson Powerlite Home Cinemaa 1080 with HDMI 1.3 input and HDMI cable V 1.4. It doesn’t work. DVD doesn’t stream the video and doesn’t recognise the hdmi cabble (HDMI light doesn’t come on), but projector on the other side recognizes hdmi cable. Don’t know what’s the problem.
What do you guys think about it?