So Long HDMI: New Standard for A/V Uses Ethernet Cables

[Daniel ~]

New standard offers both lower costs, the potential to deliver more information and convenience

LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Valens Semiconductor have been secretly conspiring to kill HDMI....

[Front page...]

[cloasters]

Can we get a hallelujah, this is a GREAT idea!

[Aedan]

So, now we end up having to have kit that's got:

• HDMI
• Ethernet
• DisplayPort
• Component
• VGA
• HDBaseT

Put it this way, HDMI is predicted to have 772.8 million units in 2012 - and each one is going to need a converter to covert it to HDBaseT.

[Daniel ~]

It this better or just more profitable for the few who "serve" the many...?

[Kaitain]

My TV already has an ethernet port. Through that ethernet port I can already fetch HD content from an appropriate media server and play it on screen using the TV's existing built-in firmware. That uses my existing wiring, router, software and so forth. With a small firmware update, I'd imagine it's possible for the same TV to support HDCP v2.0 so that Blu-Rays etc can play from any player via ethernet to the TV in all their DRM glory (assuming the Blu-Ray player was able to send it over).

Of course, this would make the clever display hardware in the player useless as the TV would have to decode and render it all...

Unless the plan is to stream raw A/V over the ethernet cable with the data superimposed? In which case my acme ethernet cables might be fine, but my expensive routers and switches aren't (as they wouldn't be able to route non-IP data)?

Bah, I'm starting to suspect that HDBaseT doesn't offer anything new but the chance to pay £$€ more for a TV that does... exactly the same thing as I've already got, or the opportunity to replace all my networking hardware for the chance to stream Blu-Rays to a different room.

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

[cloasters]

As long as tech moves forward... Hallelujah'd too soon, ugh.

[Aedan]

My understanding is that it's non-Ethernet connectivity that just happens to encapsulate a 100Mbit/sec connection that is expressed as Ethernet, given they're claiming they can transport 10.2Gbit/sec, scalable to 20Gbit/sec - when they write that spec. If you want to network it, you'll need HDBaseT equipment - you won't be able to use your existing network kit, so you'll have to replace that.

[dsio]

I liked HDMI for many reasons. This I'm somewhat less than enthusiastic about. I can picture some of my less intelligent family members pulling it out by the cord, with results far less forgiving than a HDMI plug.

[Daniel ~]

I Think there is something to be said for having plugs that don't look like other plugs... HDMI is very easy to ID when first setting things up...or resetting up two years later when you've forgotten how you did it! ":O}