How stuff works - HDMI
Jul 20th, 2008 by teys
Ever wonder what HDMI is all about? I learned a lot more about it at the How stuff works website and here’s what I found;
If you’ve shopped for an HDTV, a PlayStation 3, or an HD-DVD or Blu-ray player, you’ve probably heard about HDMI. It can seem like just one of many connections on televisions or home-theater receivers. But HDMI is more than a port on the back of a TV (and the often expensive cable that fits inside). It’s a set of rules for allowing high-definition electronic devices to communicate.
…. the HDMI standard is a set of guidelines for creating high-bandwidth connections between digital devices. With the right setup, HDMI can make a significant difference in a home-theater system. The current standard can carry 1080p high-definition signals, and it supports eight channels of uncompressed audio, enough for a 7.1 surround-sound system. HDMI can cut down on the number of cables required to connect components, and it can even reduce the number of remote controls needed to watch a movie.
But there’s a catch. In order to take advantage of everything HDMI has to offer, all of the components of a home theater have to be compatible with them. Some of the features HDMI touts also don’t yet exist in the consumer marketplace. In addition, there’s a limit to how long an HDMI cable can be, and some users complain that the limit is too short to support convenient setups.
Now I know a bit more about HDMI and how it can enhance even a home theatre system - well we don’t have one yet but who knows, eh? If you want to learn more about how other things work aside from the above check out the How stuff Works website, it is quite fun.
