HDMI 1.3 v. HDMI 1.4

There’s been a lot of chatter lately about HDMI 1.4. What does it really mean and how will it affect my system? Simply put, Crestron DigitalMedia is ready for HDMI 1.4, so fret not. Today we’ll briefly go over HDMI 1.3 and its feature set, and then we can unveil the truth about HDMI 1.4 and how it affects Crestron DigitalMedia and integrated systems.

HDMI version 1.3 is today’s standard. It allows for a maximum signal bandwidth of 340MHz, 48 bit color depth (Deep Color), support for all the popular audio formats, HDCP, CEC, and more. As consumers, we are more than blown away with uncompressed 1080p60 video and Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio—so what else could possibly make HDMI better?

How about Ethernet, 3D video, 4096x2160 resolution (makes 1920x1080 seem tiny, doesn’t it?), audio return channel (what’s that?), and some other niceties… Enter HDMI 1.4. Yes, HDMI 1.4 adds these features in an effort to bring the one wire world to fruition. Nice job, HDMI. But as an integrator, it only raises more questions and uncertainty about how everything is going to “play nice.” Let me break it down for you as it concerns DM:

Ethernet: Already supported over Crestron DigitalMedia, since Day 1. Many DM endpoints have a standard Ethernet port which can be used for connecting other Ethernet devices (see page 11 of DM Design Guide). For integration into HDMI, it requires a new cable with more pins, and all devices need to support the HDMI Ethernet Channel (see HDMI.org for a nice example).

3D / 4K video: DM’s backplane has support for these higher resolutions. Future DM parts will be able harness these capabilities and deliver them to a display near you. Keep in mind that this type of content is far from being widely offered, but we should still plan for the future.

Audio Return Channel: The main goal with this is to send audio from the TV back to the surround receiver, to eliminate an extra cable and make using that “AUX” connection on the front more convenient for the consumer. For the integrator, yes, this will be nice, but the reality is that the system is already more complex than this. What if I want an aux jack that allows me to distribute the source everywhere throughout the house? This already exceeds the ability of the Audio Return Channel. Stay tuned for more info on DM’s take.

Some other features found in version 1.4 are support for additional color spaces, a new micro connector, and an automotive connection system (You can find more details here).

Keeping it real, we realize that today, content is 1080p at best, and every movie doesn’t include 7.1 surround sound. Deep Color content is virtually non-existent--so even the great features of HDMI 1.3 haven’t been fully exploited yet. It will be some time until the devices and content can reach the specification’s capabilities—and when that time comes, Crestron will be ready.