HDMI Standards
Overview of HDMI™
Developed by Hitachi Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
(Panasonic), Philips Consumer Electronics International B.V., Silicon
Image, Inc., Sony Corporation, Thomson, Inc. and Toshiba Corporation,
the High-Definition Multimedia Interface™ (HDMI™) is the de facto global
standard for connecting HD components and bridging the gap between CE
and PC products. The HDMI specification combines uncompressed high-definition video and multi-channel audio in a single digital interface to
provide crystal-clear digital quality over a single cable. For end-users, use
of a single cable for audio and video dramatically simplifies home theater
system installation and eliminates the cable quagmire typically associated
with home theater system components.
Most importantly, HDMI offers significant advantages over analog A/V
connections, including the ability to transmit uncompressed digital video
and audio content. In addition to numerous device and display
manufacturers, major motion picture studios and cable and satellite
operators also support HDMI. To date, more than 600 makers of
consumer electronics and PC products worldwide have adopted HDMI.
HDMI Specification
The HDMI technical specification is available to hardware device, display, component, and test equipment manufacturers at no charge. In order to download the specification, or become an HDMI adopter, please visit the Manufacturer section of the HDMI website at http://www.hdmi.org.
HDMI Compliance Testing
Prior to mass producing or distributing any licensed product or component that claims compliance with the HDMI specification, a manufacturer must test a representative sample for HDMI compliance. Complete details on the testing policies can be found on the HDMI website.
The HDMI Compliance Test Specification requires that manufacturers submit their first product in each HDMI product category to an HDMI Authorized Testing Center (ATC). Silicon Image operates an HDMI ATC in Sunnyvale, California, Hannover, Germany and Shenzhen, China, while Matsushita operates an ATC in Osaka, Japan, and Philips in Grenoble, France. In addition to HDMI compliance testing, Silicon Image now offers HD compatibility testing for CE products under its' Simplay Labs brand.
HDMI compliance testing encompasses source, sink and repeater testing, including physical, protocol, video and audio tests. Cable assembly testing of mechanical and electrical characteristics, including wiring assignments, is also performed. All products submitted to an ATC are tested against the specification's requirements, after which the ATC sends a test report to both the manufacturer and HDMI Licensing, LLC.
For more information, please contact Silicon Image at hdmi-atc@siliconimage.com.
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