HDMI 1.4: Enhanced features and functionalities for digital connectivity

HDMI 1.4 is the new specification for HDMI, the acronym for High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). Like previous versions of the specification, HDMI Licensing, LLC is the licensing body for this new specification version HDMI 1.4. An HDMI cable - that has implemented earlier versions of the specification – is used for high quality multimedia experience while connecting audio and video sources like HDTVs.

For further improvement in the multimedia experience, the new HDMI 1.4 specification implements several advancements in areas such as Network Capability, Resolution Improvement and Automotive Connection System. You can download the HDMI 1.4 specification from the HDMI Licensing, LLC. website.

Let’s take a look at the some of the changes, including advancements that HDMI 1.4 brings to your multimedia experience in the near future:

HDMI Ethernet Channel

HDMI 1.4 plans to append a data channel to the pre-existing HDMI cable. This ensures an increase in bi-directional communication speed. Moreover, this additional data channel would make the devices immediately ready for IP-based applications. Another significant advantage that HDMI Ethernet channel delivers is its capability to share an internet connection with any other HDMI device without the use of a separate cable.

Audio Return Channel

HDMI 1.4 provides a new Audio Return channel. This Audio Return Channel reduces the number of cables that are required and yet ensures that HDTV can send an audio stream to an Audio/Visual receiver through the HDMI cable.

Common Format and Resolution for 3D

If there is a problem in playing different 3D formats on a 3D home theatre system, this 1.4 version takes care of the problem by standardizing the I/O portion of your system. At the same time, the resolution is defined in such a way that your high-definition devices can play files having dual stream and that have resolutions up to 1080p. Thus, you get a common format and resolution for all 3D files that your HDMI-enabled devices can play.

Support for Higher Resolutions

A user can also play files with higher resolutions, up to 4k x 2k, using this specification. It enables every HDMI device to provide the required support, which will help in transmitting content at a resolution similar to the ones used in most digital theaters.

Reproduction of Accurate Colors for Digital Still Camera Images

HDMI 1.4 specification also supports color spaces. It allows HDMI enabled devices to reproduce accurate colors of images taken through a digital still camera on different applications including Adobe RGB, AdobeYCC601 and sYCC601.

Micro HDMI Connector: Smaller Size, More Features

The Micro HDMI Connector is not only smaller in size than the existing version – currently used in HDMI devices - but it also provides support for high resolutions (up to 1080p) that can play on most portable devices.

Automotive Connection System

Automobile manufacturers face problems in HD content distribution, mainly due to the presence of environment issues that include heat, noise and vibration. HDMI 1.4 has provided a solution to these problems in the form of an automotive connection system. This feature has been designed for high-quality in-vehicle HD-Content distribution.

HDMI 1.4 is the new way of defining digital connectivity and is targeted for both consumer electronic gadgets as well as PCs, in the near future.

USB 3.0

Its main feature is high-transfer rate, up to 4.8 Gbps, suitable for delivering high-definition video content or connecting to a terabyte storage device.

Engineered by a consortium of companies including Intel, USB 3.0 (also called SuperSpeed USB) is the improved and next-generation version of today’s Universal Serial Bus, version 2 (USB 2.0). USB 3.0 fulfills the demand of today’s connectivity between a computer and peripheral devices. Its main feature is high-transfer rate, up to 4.8 Gbps, suitable for delivering high-definition video content or connecting to a terabyte storage device. In order to take advantage of this high-speed capability, however, new cables should be used between a computer and peripheral devices.

In addition to a high transfer rate, USB 3.0 is very power efficient. It incorporates a power management feature, allowing the host computer and the peripheral device to conserve power when idle. Another salient feature of USB 3.0 is that it is capable of providing additional power to power-hungry devices, e.g., 150 mA to an unconfigured device or 900 mA to a configured device.

USB 3.0 is characterized by new physical connections; using an additional physical bus consisting of four wires. These wires carry differential signals (both receive and transmit) for higher throughput, in addition to the four wires already provided (power, ground, and a pair for differential data) for USB 2.0. However, the design for this new adapter has retained the same rectangular shape – as used in USB 2.0 - for the connector, so USB 3.0 is fully backward compatible with USB 2.0. The high throughput of USB 3.0 is achieved with the help of a bi-directional data interface.  For signaling, USB 3.0 uses an asynchronous method instead of polling.

The potential application for USB 3.0 is high-bandwidth devices. These include external hard drives, high resolution webcams, video surveillance cameras, multi-channel audio interfaces and Blu-Ray drives.

Cabling for High-quality Home Theatre Installation

The main goal of cabling installation is to ensure high-quality multimedia experience.  However, aesthetic part of cabling installation is also very important i.e. installation should be clean and professional looking.

A home theatre provides an opportunity to enjoy audio and video equipments at home similar to experience of being in a movie theater. Cabling – that connects all equipments such as an HDTV or A/V source – is an important component of the home theatre. The main goal of cabling installation is to ensure high-quality multimedia experience.  However, aesthetic part of cabling installation is also very important i.e. installation should be clean and professional looking. For example, cables must be concealed from view. The other important issue is the fire safety; installation - that run through walls, behind baseboards, under floors - in most jurisdictions should be (National Electrical Code or NEC) code-compliant.

For the planning purposes, the installer should determine first what types of signals - component, DVI, composite, HDMI, s-video – should run to the display. DVI and HDMI cables – as opposed to RF modulated video cables - are the most important as they carry digital information and perfectly suitable for today’s high-quality video (and audio) experience. Next, the installer should consider what type of runs such as in-wall or through ceiling runs or just patch cabling, should do the job best. Cable concealment and routing planning should take into account how and where signals enter the home theatre room; lines from outside sources, such as a satellite dish, an off-air antenna, or a CATV system. The other important considerations for cable installation:

•    In-wall conduits through which the installers can pull cables as needed. For future-proofing, the installer should consider the largest conduit possible that the wall cavity will accommodate.
•    For home wiring, cable jackets should have NEC ratings printed.  These are CMP, CL3P, CL2P, CMR, CL3R, CL2R, CM, CMG, CL3, CL2, CMX, CL3X, CL2X, CATV, CATVR, CATVP, CATVX.
•    Use of a pass-through wallplate jack that allows a device being connected using another cable from the jack.
•    Use of cables that match the color of the room, in particular walls.

Are you ready to install your home theatre? Then use our NEC-compliant CL3 rated products from estore.circuitassembly.com. Our CL3 HDMI cables have 24 AWG thickness and are made for HDTV connectivity in professional home theater installations. For longer connection up to 75 feet, use our CL3 rated HDMI Repeater Cable with Active Extension; connecting the male side of this cable to your source. We also offer HDMI wall plate, a good accessory to connect your home theater system using CL3 HDMI cables from the wall.

Digital and Analog Cables, What’s the Difference and Why Should I Care?

Many of the best video cables being sold today were designed primarily for the digital world. The question is, are these digital cables really better than analog cables? What is the real difference between analog and digital and why should I care? To answer this we’ll be discussing what digital signals are and how they differ from analog signals.

An analog signal is a simple representation of a message that a source is trying to convey to a receiver. If the information is a 500 Hertz sine wave sound, for example, the analog signal is a voltage varying from positive to negative and back again in a wave form, 1000 times per second. If we used that signal to drive a speaker to run in the same 1000hz frequency with the same amplitude, we would hear that sound through the speaker.

A digital signal on the other hand doesn’t physically bear any resemblance to the signal its attempting to convey. It is actually made up of a series of “1″ and “0″ bits, encoded according to the standard for that digital signal, and is delivered as a rapid series of voltage changes. In an ideal world this signal is very sharp and should look like a series of squares. When translated by the receiver this message is decoded to the same signal as what an analog signal would look like.

What does all this mean in the real world?

The important thing to know about digital and analog signals is that they degrade differently. Understanding this can save you some serious money when buying cables. The difference is, analog signals degrade in a continuous and progressive fashion the more electrical disturbance is introduced, the more interference will be present in the output. This means if we run an analog cable for long distance and it doesn’t have sufficient EMI (electromagnetic interference) protection, we can get a very distorted, low quality signal.

A digital signal on the other hand degrades quite differently. Interference will cause the perfect boxy signal to become rounded and slightly degraded. However, as long as the receiver of the signal is still able to decode this signal, there is essentially no negative effect to this loss. It’s quite accurately an all or nothing transmission, it’s either perfect or not at all. The positive aspect of this is that you can be confident that if you’re viewing a video through an HDMI or other digital signal cable you can be assured its as the source intended it. This is not the case with analog cables.

So then what’s the drawback to digital signaling? Why not use it all the time?

Digital cables do have some inherent design flaws. They are made up of bundles of small gauge wire as opposed to analog cables which are made up of considerably larger gauge wires, and less of them. This design means that digital cables are not as efficient at long distance transmission. HDMI in particular was not specifically designed for long range transmission. There are band aid fixes for this such as using unusually large gauge HDMI cables such as 24 AWG CL3 HDMI cables or HDMI Repeater cables with active repeaters built in. Using high end cables like this can give you the best of both worlds, long distance transmission and essentially perfect signal transmission.

How does this save me money?

If you’re just running a short cable from your cable box to your television, don’t spend 100’s of dollars on an HDMI cable! The truth is an HDMI cable will either work or it won’t. If you need to run a long signal and aren’t too concerned about perfect signal quality you will save yourself quite a bit by using an analog cable instead of some of the more costly digital cables designed for longer distances.

Why Should I Use ‘Low Smoke Zero Halogen’ Cables?

Have you been wondering about whether or not you need a low smoke zero halogen cable for your application? Circuit Assembly wants to shed some light on this subject for you. Here we will discuss what halogen is and why you might want to consider using a halogen free cable for your situation.

What are Halogens?

On the periodic table of elements there are specific groups that several elements belong to. Halogens are one of these groups and the family of elements includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine. At first you may not see a reason to know thus but halogens actually have many uses in our everyday lives. Fluoride is in almost all toothpaste, chlorine is used in pools, and iodine is something commonly found in medicine cabinets.

Other Halogen Uses

Beyond our everyday contact with halogens there are also numerous other ways in which halogens are used. These elements are found in cable jackets as a flame retardant, this includes the PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Coincidentally, this flame retardent chemical can cause some health problems for people. Although halogen compounds keep from catching and spreading fire, they will also release hazardous gasses if the cable does reach the point of ignition. Carcinogenic substances such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Nitro Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and dioxins are all toxic chemicals that can be formed when these halogenated compounds are burned. These gaseous compounds are not only hazardous when they have burned and are in the air, after coming into contact with water they can condense into caustic acids (such as hydrochloric acid).

LSZH, a safe alternative:

Low Smoke Zero Halogen is actually a very good description of what these cables can do for us. When burned compounds like polypropylene produce very little smoke and no toxic gasses like a PVC cable would. LSZH cabling (or low smoke zero halogen cable) is the safe choice for locations in which there is fire potential and the potential for people to be near that fire. Low Smoke Zero Halogen also complies with the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive and similar North American safety and environmental standards.