Friday 10 February 2012

Taking A Closer Look At The HDMI To DVI Cable

By Wetha Lotan


Standing for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, the HDMI system has been developed to transmit uncompressed digital information between different audio video equipment. Arriving on the market towards the end of 2003, the HDMI to DVI cable became available at the same time as the sales of HDTV were taking off.

The cable is able to connect most set-top boxes, Xboxes, Play Stations and DVD players as well as Audio Video type receivers to computer monitors, HDTV's and other consumer AV equipment.

On one cable, any PC or TV video format can be supported. This includes up to eight channels of uncompressed or compressed digital audio and a CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) connection. This CEC connection has the capability of allowing various high definition devices to control one another and gives the user the ability to operate several devices using only one remote control.

Due to the fact that HDMI is compatible electrically with DVI (Digital Visual Interface), there is no need to convert the signal. There is also no degradation of the quality of the video when using the connecting cable. The high definition standard has all but replaced such diverse standards as composite video, coaxial cable, SCART, S-Video, VGA and D-Terminal.

The interface is on its way to becoming the accepted standard for inclusion on all HDTV's and In-Stat, a marketing intelligence company, has claimed that the interface was fitted to approximately 90 percent of digital TV's in 2007. Another estimate by In-Stat was that during 2008 around 229 million were sold while in 2009 the updated estimate was 394 million with a further prediction that all TV sets would have one of these connectors at least, by the end of 2009.

There are four types of connectors and they have been named A, B, C and D. Type A is a nineteen pin connection and is DVI-D compatible. Type B is a twenty nine pin connection but carries a video bandwidth double that of Type A. Type C is a mini nineteen pin connection and is used by portable units. Type D is the latest nineteen pin connection, but the plug itself is a micro version and resembles a micro-USB plug.

Several versions of the HDMI standard are in production and each one has been given a number. At present, versions 1.0 to 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 are being used and all of them use the same cable with the transmission bandwidth and capabilities being upgraded for each version. A specification for maximum cable length has not been established but the materials used and the method of manufacture are limiting factors to practical cable lengths. HDMI to DVI cable is currently available in 5 to 15 meter lengths.




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