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HDMI Versions: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2, 2.1 - differences & compatibility

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:47:19 +1000

HDMI Versions: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2, 2.1 - differences & compatibility

HDMI has been updated since its first introduction with several versions now released since its initial launch.

HDMI Technology Includes:
HDMI - the basics HDMI versions HDMI connectors Pinout / pin connections HDMI cables USB C to HDMI HDMI & DVI HDMI switch, splitter & matrix - the differences HDMI extenders HDMI repeaters Essential HDMI products

HDMI has been existence since 2002 and since then many advances have been made in the field of audio visual data capabilities. Video formats have advanced and the data rates have increased significantly. Also many new facilities and capabilities need to be controlled.
To keep up with these advancements several HDMI versions have been launched. These HDMI versions have been progressively launched and have enabled the HDMI interface to keep pace with technology, ensuring that HDMI is relevant and up to date.
One major advantage of the way that HDMI has advanced through successive versions is that the same 19 pin connector has been used and the versions have been backwards compatible.

Although the same basic connector has been used for HDMI, the many updates to the standard have been difficult to track. All the time it has been keeping up with the requirements for audio visual data transmission. New televisions, computer displays, DVD recorders, computers all use HDMI, and as updates to consumer equipment occur relatively rapidly, they will normally use the latest HDMI versions, or at least ones that will be able to accommodate the latest features.

HDMI Version 1

HDMI Version was the first incarnation of HDMI and it underwent a number of revisions and updates.
The HDMI version numbers were of the form HDMI version X.y. Initially X was the figure 1, i.e. HDMI versions 1 and this was followed by another figure and this was increased by 1 for each revision. In other worlds HDMI 1.0 increased to 1.1 and so forth.

The initial HDMI versions were in the series HDMI version 1.y.
HDMI Version 1.0: As the name indicates, HDMI 1.0 was the first version of HDMI that was released. The release date was 9 December 2002, and it included the basic HDMI capabilities for a single cable digital audio/video connector interface. The format for HDMI Version 1.0 used the basic DVI concept but requiring audio and other ancillary data to be sent during the blanking intervals of the video stream.
The key HDMI 1.0 features included:
Initial release of the HDMI standard.
Audio and video interface that provided transfer of standard and high-definition video
Provision for up to 8 channels of uncompressed digital audio
Data transfer up to 4.95 Gbps
Playback of standard Blu-ray disc video and audio at full resolution

This release added support for high quality DVD audio.
HDMI version 1.1 introduced a number of small changes to the mechanical and electrical specification.

HDMI Version 1.1: HDMI 1.1 was released on 20 May 2004

The key HDMI 1.1 features included:
HDMI 1.1 was a straightforward update to the basic specification, allowing the ability for the transmission of a special high quality DVD-Audio signal format from the player to the receiving device. This is the high resolution audio format and not that normally carried on normal DVDs which could be sent over a 1.0 system.

Provided the capability for HDMI 1.2 and later displays to support low-voltage sources used in arenas like PCI Express, a display interface standard used in many PC video cards.
Introduced the HDMI Type A connector for PC based applications
Introduced the capability for YCbCr colours used within many consumer electronics systems.

Some of the key additions introduced in the HDMI 1.2 release included:
With all these introductions, HDMI 1.2 stared to gain a much larger foothold within the industry and broaden its appeal.

Full specification for Consumer Electronic Control, CEC features, commands, and compliance testing. CEC provides the capability to allow HDMI devices to control each other when necessary. This means that it is possible for the user to operate multiple devices with one handheld remote control device. This can be a great advantage with the proliferation of devices required for some systems where each one needs its own remote.Unless the use of native DSD signals is envisaged, then HDMI 1.2 or even 1.1 in many cases will operate just as well.

HDMI 1.3 increased the single link bandwidth to 340 MHz providing a data rate of 10.2 Gbps.
Increased the 8 bit colour resolution up to 10-bit, 12-bit, or 16-bit per channel. This provided "Deep Colour" capability.
Upgraded the sRGB and YCbCr capability to include xvYCC.
Introduced new HDMI Type C miniature connector for portable devices.
Support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats for external decoding.
Included Reference Cable Equaliser to enable high frequency displays to recapture data degraded over copper cable.

HDMI version 1.4 added an HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) to accommodate a 100 Mbit/s Ethernet connection between the two HDMI connected devices to enable an Internet sharing connection.
Support was introduced for 3D video formats with input and output protocols defined.
New high definition formats introduced: 4K x 2K resolution (3840 x 2160) at 24Hz, 25Hz, and 30Hz and 4096 x 2160 at 24Hz.
Signalling of content type in real-time was introduced to enable TVs to optimise picture settings according to the content.
An audio Return Channel was added and this enabled an HDMI-connected TV with a built-in tuner to send audio data "upstream" to a surround audio system. This eliminated the need for a separate audio cable.
Additional colour profiles added to accommodate digital photography and computer graphics: Adobe RGB, AdobeYCC601 and sYCC601.
New cables and connectors were introduced to support video, etc in automotive applications.
A new Micro HDMI connector was introduced for use with small devices like mobile phones and other small portable devices.

HDMI Version 1.4a: HDMI 1.4a was a relatively minor version update that was released on 4 March 2010. It focussed in improvements to 3D video technology and was delayed from being incorporated into HDMI 1.4 pending decisions that needed to be made by the broadcast industry.
This version of HDMI incorporated the 3D broadcast format, that could not be decided in time for the initial release of HDMI version 1.4.

The most important change added within HDMI version 1.4b is given below:
This version of HDMI provided for full HD to be provided for both pictures used for 3D pictures enabling 3D 1080p video at 120 Hz, i.e. 1080p 60 Hz for each picture giving a total picture rate of 120 Hz.

HDMI Version 2

HDMI 2 was the first update to be managed by the new HDMI Forum. In view of the fact that it was being managed by a different body, the version number was raised from 1 to 2 reflecting the major change.

HDMI Version 2.0: HDMI 2 was released on 4 September 2013 and it was also referred to as HDMI UHD. There were several improvements that were introduced with this HDMI version.

There were several enhancements that were included for HDMI version 2.0:
The bandwidth was increased to enable data transfer at 18 Gbps.
Provided capability for UHD video with resolution levels up to 4K at 50 or 60 Hz.
Enabled use of 8b/10b encoding.
Allowed the transmission of up to 32 audio channels.
Provided for audio sampling at a rate of 1532kHz.
Capability introduced to enable delivery of dual video streams to multiple users on the same screen.
Enabled the simultaneous delivery of multi-stream audio to up to four users.
Support added for wide angle cinematic video with 21:9 aspect ratio.
HDMI Version 2.0a : This minor update to HDMI 2.0 was released on 8 April 2015. As this was a relatively minor update, it was released as an alpha update only.
The main enhancement included in this HDMI version update was:
Provided support for High Dynamic Range video with static metadata.
It added support for HDR video as described in CTA-861.G specification.
It extended the static metadata signalling to include Hybrid Log-Gamma.

Additional support for HDR video was provided in an extra release of the standard that took place in December 2016.

Support added for resolution of 10k at 120 Hz.
Display Stream Compression (DSC) 1.2 is used for video formats higher than 8K with 4:2:0 chroma subsampling.
Introduction of a new HDMI cable category called 48G to enable cables to be certified to carry the new higher data rates.
Capability added for specifying HDR metadata on a scene-by-scene or even a frame-by-frame basis.

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HDMI – YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:28:28 +1000

HDMI – YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is essentially an interface that can transmit digital signals between two devices. For example, computer input or DVD Player to a display device. As a technology, HDMI has been around for some time, but we find there is still some confusion surrounding its capabilities, benefits and shortfalls.

Here we answer some common questions…

Q. What are the advantages of using a HDMI cable over other interfaces?

A. The key benefit of HDMI is its ability to transport a high bandwidth of data (video, audio and now 3D and Ethernet) using a single cable. For the average consumer, the ability to connect their TV and DVD player with just one cable certainly makes setting up a home entertainment system less daunting. From a commercial perspective, system designers consider HDMI, along with other interfaces including VGA and DVI in determining the most appropriate interface for a project.

The key benefits HDMI offers over analogue interfaces are:

Increased quality of picture with better contrast and colour saturation

Easy to use with a range of features transmitted via a single connector
By allowing your devices to “talk” to each other, the AV system is more intuitive and can be controlled by a single remote.

A. HDMI versions are ‘backward compatible’ so a device outputting HDMI 1.3 will generally transmit effectively to a HDMI 1.4 input. In conjunction with looking at the version number, it is also recommended that you look at the features supported by the version and ensure the feature you want is specified in every device and cable in the system.

Q. Are all HDMI cables the same and do they all transmit Full HD 1080p and Deep Colour?

A. There are five certifications for HDMI Cabling, with the two most well known being:

Standard HDMI: performs at speeds of up to 2.25Gbps and will support 720p/1080i signals.
High Speed HDMI: performs at speeds of up to 10.2Gbps and will support features such as HD 1080p and Deep Colour.

Standard HDMI with Ethernet, High Speed HDMI with Ethernet and Standard Automotive are the other HDMI certifications introduced to support features of HDMI 1.4.

Like all formats, cable quality does vary between brands. It is important to buy a cable that is HDMI certified to ensure quality, longevity and increase resistance of interference from other systems.

Advice from a trusted source is essential to ensure your cable does not let your system down.

Q. Am I able to run HDMI run over long distances reliably?

A. HDMI cables in their original form do not tackle the problem of signal loss over long cable runs any better than DVI or VGA. Most cable lengths of more than 5-10 metres will inevitably lose data from source to output.

InSight Systems has encountered the challenge of running long cable lengths in several commercial applications including projects at Swinburne University of Technology and Box Hill TAFE. Both clients needed to maintain exceptional signal quality over long distances so to avoid any loss in data, InSight utilise Extron’s Twisted Pair technology. The Extron solution takes the VGA, DVI or HDMI signal, converts and extends it over shielded, low skew UTP cabling. A transmitter and receiver pair is employed for each cable length, ensuring the signal quality is maintained from source to display.

At the end of the day, it is always best to get good advice from a trusted source.

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Time for some new HDMI cables

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:12:05 +1000

Time for some new HDMI cables

When did you buy your first HDMI cable? Was it about 2006? That’s when I got mine. I think I paid about $25 for it from Radio Shack.

Because in 2006, Radio Shack was still a thing. Later on, I started buying them from Solid Signal, because I could get cables that were just as good, but a lot less expensive.

And honestly, that’s probably the last time I thought about it. Over the years I picked up a few more cheap HDMI cables but for the most part I used those same old ones. Because, honestly, they worked. I never really had a problem with them. That is, until recently.

Turns out there is a difference

HDMI was pretty undemanding in 2006. At least it was if you compare that to today. Today, there are technologies like 4K, HDMI-ARC, HDMI-CEC, and new forms of copy protection. HDMI cables do more than they ever did before. And, it turns out that there’s a difference, and sometimes that difference is important.

Here’s my story. I put in a complete home theater system in 2006 including a new TV, surround system, and DIRECTV’s first ever HD DVR. In the years since, a lot of the equipment has changed. But, the home theater receiver didn’t. It became a little more challenging to support it with today’s technology, but it worked. It wasn’t broke, so I didn’t fix it. Simple as that.

Fifteen years is a lot of time in the world of home theater. There came a point where I wanted more out of life than that old home theater receiver could give me. And so, after a long period of research, I decided on a suitable upgrade.

Welcome to HDMI switching

My old home theater receiver didn’t have HDMI inputs. It couldn’t switch between them. I had crosswired everything with optical and coaxial audio, so I could keep it working. (On the other hand, if you wanted to switch between S-Video inputs, let me tell you it had you covered.)

New home theater receivers accept multiple HDMI inputs and put out one HDMI output to the TV. This is what I wanted. That way I’d get better fidelity audio with fewer cables. Sounded like a win-win.

Except, it didn’t work.

It worked, at first. And then it stopped working. And I changed a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and it worked again. Then it stopped. It was annoying. Every time I thought I was done… I wasn’t.

The solution was obvious.

Those old HDMI cables I’d used weren’t designed to support 4K or high-speed connections. They were ancient, I admit it. They were also pretty inexpensive.

I replaced all the HDMI cables in my system with ones like this from Solid Signal. It took me a while but I got it done. It didn’t cost much, and it didn’t take a lot to swap them in place. I connected everything, and it “just worked.” And then I waited 15 minutes. And then it still “just worked.” The next day, it “just worked.” Turns out that those old cables weren’t doing me any favors.

But, all this data is digital. How can better cables make a difference?

Just because HDMI cables are digital doesn’t mean they’re immune to the sorts of problems that happen to all cables. Older cables might not support the amount of data that’s needed today. All HDMI cables have features to enable copy protection, but older cables don’t always support the newest copy protection. Some cables have internal amplifiers, and the early versions of those created problems with 4K. There are a lot of reasons an old HDMI cable just isn’t worth keeping.

Time to do some house cleaning.

Folks, learn from my mistake. I know that I should have changed out those cables earlier. So, that’s just what you should do. Even if they work now, it’s time to change them out. You don’t want to deal with problems later. There are hundreds of choices here, and you’ll find exactly what you need. Choose cables that say they are high-speed and compatible with 4K. You’ll need them.

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How to make Ethernet cables

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:06:03 +1000

How to make Ethernet cables

Teracom Solutions makes all sorts of great cables, Ethernet cables included. But if you have a specific length of cable you need that isn't provided, or you want to save a bit of money, you can always make your own. To do it, you'll need a couple of tools, some time, and a good selection of Ethernet RJ45 (8P8C) plugs – depending on what category of cable you're targeting.

It doesn't hurt to know all about modern networking either, as the types of custom Ethernet cables you want to make will have their own specifications and limits you'll want to be aware of before starting.

What You Need to Make Custom Ethernet Cables

Unless you need absolute bleeding edge network performance, the best custom Ethernet cables to make are Cat 6 or Cat 6a. They offer excellent speeds of up to 10,000 Mbps, or 10 Gbps (Cat 6a can do so at longer distances), and have excellent shielding against crosstalk and signal degradation.

Once you've picked the category of cable you're looking to build, you need to buy the right RJ45 modular plugs for the job – like these great Cat 6 plugs and Cat 6a plugs. You'll also need enough bulk stranded Ethernet cable for however many cables, at whatever length, you want to make.

All Cable Matters bulk Ethernet cable is pure copper (not copper clad aluminum), and adheres to all guidelines for communications cabling.

Although there are a few options for bulk Ethernet cabling, most of them will work just fine for home use. You'll want to opt for at least in-wall rated (CM) cabling. Alternatively, there are riser rated (CMR) and plenum jacket (CMP) cables, which offer better protection against fire, if that's something you're concerned about; though they're more designed with office buildings in mind.

The last thing you need is a proper RJ45 crimp tool. It doesn't matter what cable category you opt for, this will work just fine as a Cat 6 crimping tool, or a Cat 6a crimping tool.

How to Make Ethernet Cables Yourself

With your Cat 6 crimping tool, Cat 6 plugs, and a lengthy section of Cat 6 (or Cat 6a) cable, it's time to make your own custom Ethernet cables.

Measure the length of the bulk Ethernet cable that you want to use. If you have a specific task in mind, it can help to lay it out where you expect it to go. That way you won't end up with a cable that's too short, or with lots of excess cabling that you only need to tuck away somewhere. Give yourself a little extra to work with so that the cable's not too taut.

Most Cable Matters Cat 6 plugs come with strain-relief boots to help protect the modular clips. Put one on each end of the cable if they are included.

Starting at one end, use the crimp tool's wire stripper to cut open the PVC jacket to expose the internal wires. Take care not to cut into the wires or damage the spline (if it has one).

Straighten the wires as best you can, and if necessary, trim them back to about half an inch in length using the wire cutter on the crimp tool.

Take your Cat 6 plug and slide the wires inside, paying close attention that the wires stay in the correct order. If they jump or don't slide in correctly, remove the RJ45 plug, re-straighten the wires, and try again.

Push the wires right to the end of the connector. This may take a bit of force or jiggling around, but they should get there eventually. At this point the PVC coating of the Ethernet cable should also have entered the plug, making for a tight fit.

Take the crimping tool and slide the RJ45 plug into its crimping slot as far as it will go. Squeeze the crimping tool tightly to crimp the connector.

If you're using strain relief boots, slide your previously applied relief boot over the Cat 6 plug.

Repeat the above steps on the other end of the Ethernet cable.

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