HDMI Connections and Interface - A Beginner's Guide

[Clint DeBoer]

Starting around 2003 we saw a rapid adoption of the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) across the digital consumer market. This included DTVs, high definition set –top boxes and computer graphics boards. By the end of that year, well over 500 consumer electronics products featured a DVI connection, with approximately 80% of DTVs shipped to the US using that technology. Later in the year, HDMI also emerged as a digital transmission format, but addressed some specific needs tailored to the consumer electronics market. Read on to learn everything there is to know about HDMI.

[Read About HDMI]

[racquetman]

If that's the beginner's guide, people's heads are going to explode when you post the expert guide

[Clint DeBoer]

Haha, well its written a bit for both I suppose.

It covers much of the spec while interjecting explanations in more simplified language for much of the important stuff. We've been talking with people at HDMI.org and wanted to make some of the aspects and capabilities of the relatively new format available so readers could understand why it's such a big deal.

The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) features are especially impressive and should really revolutionize home theater systems once effectively implemented.

[HookedOnSound]

Thanks for posting the guide,

I myself can't wait until all connections are the same (HDMI), imaging the real estate retrieved in the back of receivers!

I have never been satisfied with the spacing for speaker posts/terminals (I got big/clumsy hands), I have gone with banana plugs strictly for ease of installation, this should give them no excuse (spacing).

[rockymtnman]

What is the difference bitween switching and upscaling and up conversion? Also, if I buy a receiver that has switching, do I need to get a dvd player that is already hdmi capable to have the hdmi quality? I am getting the Westinghouse lvm42w2.

[MDS]

Originally Posted by rockymtnman

What is the difference bitween switching and upscaling and up conversion?

- Switching: all receivers switch between sources. If you have a dvd player and a set-top box connected to the receiver, when you press 'dvd' the receiver switches to the dvd player; ie the video and the audio now comes from the dvd player. Press 'Video1' (if that is the input where the set-top box is connected) and now all the audio and video comes from the set-top box.

- Upscaling: Changing from one resolution to another. If eg you are viewing Standard Definition video from a DVD with a resolution of 480i and you have the receiver or dvd player set to upscale to 720p, then it adds lines to the image so that its resolution is now 720 lines instead of 480. The purpose is to match the resolution of the TV. Some receivers and dvd players include upscaling and all HDTVs scale.

- Upconversion: The technical term is actually 'transcoding'; ie changing from one format to another. Upconversion is sort of the simplified colloquial term that everyone uses instead. Upconversion is for the case where you have different source devices using different connections and you want to output using one common connection. For example, the dvd player is using s-video and the set-top box is using composite video but you have component video connections to the TV. The receiver can convert composite and s-video to component video.

Also, if I buy a receiver that has switching, do I need to get a dvd player that is already hdmi capable to have the hdmi quality?

The dvd player has to have hdmi outputs. If your receiver has hdmi inputs and outputs you can connect it to the receiver instead of directly to the tv and the receiver can switch between it and other connected devices. If you want to use HDMI output to the TV along with other devices that do not have HDMI outputs, then the receiver must also be able to transcode the other formats (composite, s-video, component) to HDMI.

[rockymtnman]

Originally Posted by MDS

- Switching: all receivers switch between sources. If you have a dvd player and a set-top box connected to the receiver, when you press 'dvd' the receiver switches to the dvd player; ie the video and the audio now comes from the dvd player. Press 'Video1' (if that is the input where the set-top box is connected) and now all the audio and video comes from the set-top box.

- Upscaling: Changing from one resolution to another. If eg you are viewing Standard Definition video from a DVD with a resolution of 480i and you have the receiver or dvd player set to upscale to 720p, then it adds lines to the image so that its resolution is now 720 lines instead of 480. The purpose is to match the resolution of the TV. Some receivers and dvd players include upscaling and all HDTVs scale.

- Upconversion: The technical term is actually 'transcoding'; ie changing from one format to another. Upconversion is sort of the simplified colloquial term that everyone uses instead. Upconversion is for the case where you have different source devices using different connections and you want to output using one common connection. For example, the dvd player is using s-video and the set-top box is using composite video but you have component video connections to the TV. The receiver can convert composite and s-video to component video.


The dvd player has to have hdmi outputs. If your receiver has hdmi inputs and outputs you can connect it to the receiver instead of directly to the tv and the receiver can switch between it and other connected devices. If you want to use HDMI output to the TV along with other devices that do not have HDMI outputs, then the receiver must also be able to transcode the other formats (composite, s-video, component) to HDMI.

thanks for your help....is there a device that will upscale and/or transcode that can be added to a system if the receiver doesn't have that capability?

[MDS]

Originally Posted by rockymtnman

thanks for your help....is there a device that will upscale and/or transcode that can be added to a system if the receiver doesn't have that capability?

Sure. DVDO is one that seems to be highly regarded. I have no experience with any of them personally but you might try a search of the forums because they have been discussed many times. Use search terms like 'video scaler', 'upconversion', 'transcoding', etc or even post a new topic and you're sure to get good replies from those knowledgeable about video.

[rockymtnman]

thanks again MDS, I appreciate all your insight.

[pjviitas]

HDMI is a good send for folks who connect computers to their A/V systems