High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

Specifications

HDMI defines the protocol and electrical specifications for the signaling, as well as the pin-out, electrical and mechanical requirements of the cable and connectors.

Connectors

The HDMI Specification has expanded to include three connectors, each intended for different markets.

The standard Type A HDMI connector has 19 pins, with bandwidth to support all SDTV, EDTV and HDTV modes and more. The plug outside dimensions are 13.9 mm wide by 4.45 mm high. Type A is electrically compatible with single-link DVI-D.

A higher resolution version called Type B is defined in HDMI 1.0. Type B has 29 pins (21.2 mm wide), allowing it to carry an expanded video channel for use with very high-resolution future displays, such as WQSXGA (3200x2048). Type B is electrically compatible with dual-link DVI-D, but is not in general use.

The Type C mini-connector is intended for portable devices. It is smaller than Type A (10.42 mm by 2.42 mm) but has the same 19-pin configuration.

Cable

The HDMI cable can be used to carry video, audio, and/or device-controlling signals (CEC). Adaptor cables, from Type A to Type C, are also available.

TMDS channel

The Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) channel:

• Carries video, audio, and auxiliary data via one of three modes called the Video Data Period, the Data Island Period, and the Control Period. During the Video Data Period, the pixels of an active video line are transmitted. During the Data Island period (which occurs during the horizontal and vertical blanking intervals), audio and auxiliary data are transmitted within a series of packets. The Control Period occurs between Video and Data Island periods.
• Signaling method: Formerly according to DVI 1.0 spec. Single-link (Type A HDMI) or dual-link (Type B HDMI).
• Video pixel rate: 25 MHz to 340 MHz (Type A, as of 1.3) or to 680 MHz (Type B). Video formats with rates below 25 MHz (e.g. 13.5 MHz for 480i/NTSC) transmitted using a pixel-repetition scheme. From 24 to 48 bits per pixel can be transferred, regardless of rate. Supports 1080p at rates up to 120 Hz and WQSXGA.^[3]
• Pixel encodings: RGB 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:4:4 (8–16 bits per component); YCbCr 4:2:2 (12 bits per component)
• Audio sample rates: 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz.
• Audio channels: up to 8.
• Audio streams: any IEC61937-compliant stream, including high bitrate (lossless) streams (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio).

Consumer Electronics Control channel

The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) channel is optional to implement, but wiring is mandatory. The channel:

• Uses the industry standard AV Link protocol.
• Used for remote control functions.
• One-wire bidirectional serial bus.
• Defined in HDMI Specification 1.0, updated in HDMI 1.2a, and again in 1.3a (added timer and audio commands).

This feature is used in two ways:

• To allow the user to command and control multiple CEC-enabled boxes with one remote control, and
• To allow individual CEC-enabled boxes to command and control each other, without user intervention.

An example of the latter is to allow the DVD player, when the drawer closes with a disk, to command the TV and the intervening A/V Receiver (all with CEC) to power-up, select the appropriate HDMI ports, and auto-negotiate the proper video mode and audio mode. No remote control command is needed. Similarly, this type of equipment can be programmed to return to sleep mode when the movie ends, perhaps by checking the real-time clock. For example, if it is later than 11:00 p.m., and the user does not specifically command the systems with the remote control, then the systems all turn off at the command from the DVD player.

Alternative names for CEC are Anynet (Samsung), Aquos Link (Sharp), BRAVIA Theatre Sync (Sony), Regza Link (Toshiba), RIHD (Onkyo), Simplink (LG) and Viera Link/EZ-Sync (Panasonic/JVC).

Content restriction

• According to High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) Specification 1.2.
• Beginning with HDMI CTS 1.3a, any system which implements HDCP must do so in a fully-compliant manner. HDCP compliance is itself part of the requirements for HDMI compliance.^[4][5]
• The HDMI repeater bit, technically the HDCP repeater bit, controls the authentication and switching/distribution of an HDMI signal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI