Audio Video News

In late June, two electronics industry groups presented proposals that could make "plug and play" a reality for high-definition video components,home networking devices, and other types of consumer products.

On June 26, high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) founders Hitachi, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics, Silicon Image, Sony Corporation, Thomson, and Toshiba Corporation today announced the availability of version 0.9 of the HDMI compliance test specification. The specification details tests, procedures and equipment specifications established by the HDMI founders to promote "compatibility between HDMI devices," according to a group press release.

The HDMI spec "combines high-definition video and multi-channel audio in a single, all-digital interface with a bandwidth of up to 5GB/sec.," the notice states. "Benefits include uncompressed digital quality, fewer cables, and a small, user-friendly connector suitable for a wide range of CE components. HDMI also supports bi-directional communication between devices, enabling the DTV to make intelligent decisions on how to best render images. Since its release in January 2003, more than 30 companies have become adopters of the of the HDMI version 1.0 specification."

The proposal requires that manufacturers submit their first products in each HDMI category to an HDMI Authorized Testing Center (ATC)—either the Silicon Image center in Sunnyvale, California, or the Matsushita-operated center in Osaka, Japan. The four HDMI categories are source (eg DVD, set-top box), sink (digital TV), repeater (A/V receiver) and cable. Subsequent products, such as a manufacturer's second TV or DVD player, must also be tested, but may be self-tested by the manufacturer. The devices will be subjected to an array of mechanical and electrical tests.

All products submitted to an ATC are tested against the specification's requirements, after which the ATC sends a test report to the manufacturer and HDMI Licensing, LLC. "Efforts such as HDMI are working towards standards that guarantee interoperability and compatibility, which are needed before HDTV will fulfill its potential," explained David Smith of Gartner, Inc. Testing and certification are required for any product to bear the HDMI logo or claim conformance to the HDMI Specification.

On June 27, a group of 17 companies formed a working group to establish guidelines for networked compatibility for digital content among audio, video, mobile and PC products. Known as the Digital Home Working Group (DHWG), the Tokyo-based organization hopes to create interoperability standards for a wide range of devices, as well as insure that consumers can "access digital content across different platforms."

To date, cross-platform interoperability has been a matter of luck and happenstance. The DHWG will base its guidelines on " established standards such as Internet Protocol (IP), Wi-Fi, and other common formats such as MPEG2 and MP3," according to Electronic Engineering Times. A "Digital Home guideline" is expected in 2004 or 2005. Members of the non-profit organization include founders Intel Corp. and Sony Corp., with recent recruits Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, IBM, Kenwood, Lenovo, Microsoft, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, ST Microelectronics, and Thomson.