HDMI 1.3 Cables

[JGivo]

Hi,
Newbie...please bear with me. Setting up new HT, and I am trying to determine whether I need HDMI cables rated for 1.3. AV Receiver supports HDMI 1.3. Does the TV need to also support 1.3 in order to take advantage of that interconnect or are the HDMI connections on a TV generic? FWIW the TV is a Panasonic TH-50PZ80U (plasma 1080p). The receiver is a Yamaha RX-V863. Thanks.

 

[j_garcia]

There is no such thing as a 1.3 cable. All versions of cables are compatible with all versions of HDMI, that is part of the spec.

 

[JGivo]

Thank you. How about my question regarding the TV. Does it need to support 1.3 to take advantage of the AVR's ability to do so?

 

[Midcow2]

Hdmi 1.3

Thank you. How about my question regarding the TV. Does it need to support 1.3 to take advantage of the AVR's ability to do so?

Typically on an HT system your TV is just used for video , so it wouldn't matter. You system should work fine!

HDMI 1.3 typically means that in additon to video it also passes audio. If your DVD is HDMI 1.3 then both Vidoe and audio will go to your AVR via a single cable. Otherwiase with HDMI 1.1 or 1.2 you need separate audio connections.

 

[KurtBJC]

HDMI 1.3 typically means that in additon to video it also passes audio.

Actually, no. You're thinking of DVI. All HDMI versions were designed to handle embedded audio from the start.

As j_garcia said, all HDMI cables are compatible with all HDMI spec versions. The significance of the "spec version" of an HDMI cable itself is just to identify what the testing criteria were at the time it was submitted for official testing, and although those criteria have changed, the changes have mostly been in the nature of minor alterations to testing protocols. Nothing in the changes affects support for resolutions, features, and protocols.

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable

 

[itschris]

Hi,
Newbie...please bear with me. Setting up new HT, and I am trying to determine whether I need HDMI cables rated for 1.3. AV Receiver supports HDMI 1.3. Does the TV need to also support 1.3 in order to take advantage of that interconnect or are the HDMI connections on a TV generic? FWIW the TV is a Panasonic TH-50PZ80U (plasma 1080p). The receiver is a Yamaha RX-V863. Thanks.

I think you got your answers, but I want to give my 2 cents. DO NOT try and save a few bucks and get cheap HDMI cables. I had a very frustrating experience with drop outs and ultimately discovered that the cable that came with my OPPO player was causing the trouble. Go with a solid well built cables from someone like Blue Jean cable. They are by far one of the best cables deals around. They make great cables for a very fair and valued price.

If you do need a cable right away and can't wait a couple of days, I did find some pretty nice cables for a very good price at SAMs Club of all places. They carry the belkin PURE AV line. I was in a pinch over the weekend with my dropout issues and I only needed a short cable run and found them to be pretty nice cables and they seem to work just fine. Interestingly enought they say 1.3a compliant on the box... though I can't imagine in reality it means much.

Seriously though, plan a bit ahead and give Blue Jean a good look. It's a no brainer to buy from them.

 

[Midcow2]

Actually ..

Actually, no. You're thinking of DVI. All HDMI versions were designed to handle embedded audio from the start.

As j_garcia said, all HDMI cables are compatible with all HDMI spec versions. The significance of the "spec version" of an HDMI cable itself is just to identify what the testing criteria were at the time it was submitted for official testing, and although those criteria have changed, the changes have mostly been in the nature of minor alterations to testing protocols. Nothing in the changes affects support for resolutions, features, and protocols.

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable

Kurt,

You are right! , but most vendors didn't and don't follow the HDMI specs. Those vendors that say they are compatible with HDMI 1.1 or HDMI 1.2 will only pass video ; not audio. Only the vendors that adher to HDMI 1.3 pass both audio and video. That is one reason there is so much confusion with HDMI and why the early adopters are so befuddled trying to make HMDI 1.1 work with HDMI 1.3 and HDMI 1.2

 

[KurtBJC]

Midcow2, I think you're still a bit confused. I have never seen a piece of HDMI 1.1 or 1.2 gear that didn't support audio, and anything that didn't would not have been HDMI compliant because support for embedded audio has always been required in the spec. Now, there may be an odd piece of gear here or there that didn't support audio, but everything I have ever used, regardless of spec version, has fully supported audio.

I can assure you that what you are describing cannot be a common problem, because we field all manner of HDMI questions and problems all day long here, and it just doesn't come up. There are occasions when people have trouble with 1.1 and 1.2 gear passing audio down very long cable runs due to DDC issues, but the audio in those situations always works when shorter cables are used. If 1.1 and 1.2 gear didn't pass audio, I would be constantly besieged with questions about why things aren't working--in fact, because people often equate the cable with the connection, I would get blamed for it most of the time.

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable