Worthwhile article on HDMI 2.0

[Chris D]

Just in case you weren't confused enough about HDMI, specs, capabilities, how good your cables are, and more, here ya go:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57603018-221/hdmi-2.0-what-you-need-to-know/

[madmac]

My HDMI continues to work so....I DON'T TOUCH IT !!.

[PewterTA]

Well I will give them credit that they are at least trying to make it so people aren't having to buy all new connections... Other than that... seems like a good step up...just continuing progress. I'm really surprised they didn't try to go and support 8k and beyond, but maybe that would require a new interface.

Would've been nice if they had worked/added support for hi-res audio and cleaned up that stream. Pretty bad when HDMI sounds worse than USB. lol They should've seen the needs of the Computer Audiophile community and cleaned up that jitter and maybe created a new practice of transporting audio bit-perfectly. Maybe did some fancy clock thingy into it or something.

[John Holmes]

I'm glad they stayed with the current connector. I'm for the advancement of the tech and as such, understand that there will be times when a new connector maybe needed. I would love for us to get a little better than decade of use out of them minimum. Now if they had just made the HDMI interface a little more robust to begin with...

[Chris D]

I went to a moderately in-depth presentation on HDMI 2.0 at CEDIA. It was rather interesting. HDMI 2.0 sounds pretty cool.

Up front, I need to emphasize how HDMI specs work in the industry. I think ALL of us have been guilty of "violating" these guidelines. HDMI certifications (i.e. HDMI 2.0) are a LIST OF SPECIFICATIONS of different types of capabilities. It is up to individual manufacturers, if and how they implement these specs. We as consumers have the desire to say that "Product XXX is HDMI 2.0 compliant", but that really doesn't mean anything. In theory, something could be "HDMI 2.0 compliant" if it incorporated EVERY SINGLE ONE of the specifications contained in that HDMI release. But we as consumers would not want that to be required. This actually meakes sense. For example, the HDMI 1.4 release included 3D capability. Let's say that you're buying a TV for your kids--a playroom, fort, or just a little game system in the basement. If you don't have a need for 3D (or any other particular spec) do you want to have to pay hundreds of dollars extra for ALL HDMI specs when you buy that new TV? It costs manufacturers big bucks to incorporate each of new technologies in products. You want to only have to pay for the things you need and use. The HDMI alliance actually prohibits its members from labeling any product "HDMI X.X" compliant. If you do see that, it essentially means one of two things. Either (1) That manufacturer does not belong to the HDMI alliance, and therefore there is no quality control guarantee of the specs that it claims, or (2) They do belong to the alliance, and they are about to be schwacked with fines for violating alliance guidelines.

So it does make more complicated for us as consumers. If you go buy a new TV, you can't just look for "HDMI X.X" compliant. You need to look for the capabilites you want, i.e. "3D capable". Or "CEC control" Or whatever. Of course, this also means you need to learn about and be informed on all these specs.

Please excuse the pic quality. Taken by iPhone of the presentation screen during the seminar. Select shots highlighting the HDMI info. Start with overview:





Lot bigger bandwidth for HDMI 2.0, to contain all the new info it transmits. However, the presenter kept emphasizing that although there's a lot more bandwidth, new cables are NOT required, if you already have "high speed" HDMI cables. For one, they say that data transmission only occurs normally at legacy levels, and doesn't kick in to the higher bandwidth until it's required for new tech. Also, they claim that they have developed a "new method" of transmission that is more efficient. Thus, new cables not required. (nor new connectors)





Now this is pretty cool. The HDMI presenter posited that "3D is dead". While I don't entirely disagree, it certainly isn't going mainstream. (as I predicted, BTW) So manufacturers have come up with an alternate way of using the tech. Instead of putting glasses on viewers, where the left and right eyes see different images to make it 3D, HDMI 2.0 comes up with a new capability, where multiple PEOPLE can see different images on a screen at the same time. While I have adamantly argued the practical problems of having to wear glasses to watch 3D, I *would* be willing to wear glasses in certain situations to watch a different show. i.e. when I'm laying in bed at the end of the night and my wife is watching the latest iteration of "reality bachelorette bridesmaids ice skating singing and talent show" crap, I can put on my glasses, and watch ANYTHING else I want. And still have it in 4K high def!





More colors. From what I understand, the big patch in this chart is color visible to the human eye. The small triangle is what was capable on HD sets. (which was bigger than old SD sets) The larger triangle is the new capability in HDMI 2.0. This practically will mean more rich, vibrant colors on scree.





And if you're going to transmit different video on the same screen, you'll need audio to go along with it. And not just for different video. Different people watching the same video can listen to different audio streams. Someone could listen in a different language. Or a visually impaired description track. Or commentary. I also confirmed with the presenter that EACH of these 4 tracks can be all the way up to full uncompressed HD audio.





7.1 not enough for you? How about 30.2?








As mentioned, no new cables required. Some people on the street are guessing that this might cause problems with longer cable runs, but... we'll see. Official answer is, no changes required. All new HDMI 2.0 stuff takes place in inside component hardware.








Now, this is pretty key, though, and rather important. This will be a BIG deal for people that have spent big money on matrices and extenders. Their cables will still work, but these mega-buck boxes will probably NOT with HDMI 2.0. I use a switcher, but it in all likelihood WILL work with HDMI 2.0, because it is just straight pass-through, switching sources to a single output.








Hope this helps people.

[wkhanna]

Wow!
It was just like being there.

Thanks, Chris!

[Hdale85]

Wow the new audio formats supported are crazy! 30.2 surround, and 1536khz!