New features for the High-Definition
Multimedia Interface specification were unveiled this week ahead of its official release on June 30.
The HDMI interface is the uncompressed, all-digital, global connectivity standard that delivers HD quality for consumer electronics and PC products via a single cable.
Features of the High-Definition Multimedia Interface upgrade, HDMI 1.4, were unveiled by HDMI Licensing. Improvements include networking capabilities with Ethernet connectivity as well as the addition of an Audio Return Channel to upstream audio connections via the HDMI cable. The HDMI specification 1.4 can be downloaded on the HDMI Web site.
Resolution also will be improved with the 1.4 specification since it enables HDMI devices to support high-definition resolutions that are four times beyond the resolution of 1,080p. Support for 4K x 2K allows the HDMI interface to transmit content at the same resolution as digital theaters.
According to HDMI Licensing, the HDMI standard is growing at a rapid clip and now has more than 850 adopters worldwide.
Consumer-electronics and PC manufacturers that have adopted the standard include Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips Consumer Electronics, Silicon Image, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung and Microsoft.
HDMI Licensing cited figures from market-research firm In-Stat estimating that more than 394 million HDMI-enabled devices are expected to ship in 2009, with an installed base of 1 billion devices. By the end of 2009, 100 percent of digital televisions are expected to have at least one HDMI input.
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