What are the advantages of HDMI over existing analog
interfaces such as composite, S-Video and component video?
Quality HDMI transfers
uncompressed digital audio and video for the highest,
crispest image quality.
All Digital HDMI ensures an
all-digital rendering of video without the losses associated
with analog interfaces and their unnecessary
digital-to-analog conversions.
Low-cost HDMI provides the
quality and functionality of a digital interface while also
supporting uncompressed video formats in a simple,
cost-effective manner.
Audio HDMI supports multiple
audio formats, from standard stereo to multi-channel
surround-sound.
Ease-of-use HDMI combines
video and multi-channel audio into a single cable,
eliminating the cost, complexity, and confusion of multiple
cables currently used in A/V systems.
Intelligence HDMI supports
communication between the video source (such as a DVD
player) and the DTV, enabling new functionality.
HDMI technology uses a
digital interface instead of an analog interface. With an
analog interface the digital signal is converted to an
imperfect analog signal, sent to the display unit, then the
signal is converted back to digital so it can display the
signal. When the cable is translated into analog, some of
the signal's quality is lost. HDMI uses a digital interface
which means that the signal starts out digital, stays
digital through the transmission, and is received as a
digital signal by the receiving display. Because there are
no signal conversions this keeps the digital signal strong
with no degradation.
Speed is one advantage of
HDMI. The cables are capable of transmitting the signal at
faster speeds. Most HDMI cables can carry a maximum of 5
gigabits per second. This allows for quick signal
transmission.
HDMI technology also has an
advantage over analog in the sound category as well. With
analog devices separate cables are needed for the sound
signal. With HDMI the sound signal is transmitted through
the main cable with the other signals. No separate cable is
needed which greatly minimizes the number of cables required
for installation.
HDMI has the advantage of
being all digital. There is never a conversion of the
digital format to an analog format, resulting in signal
degradation. The signal starts digital, stays digital, and
is received by the display as digital.
Another advantage of HDMI is
that the High Definition signal is not compressed at all.
With analog HD signals, the signal may be compressed which
can result in lower signal quality.
HDMI cables can carry more
than twice the bandwidth needed for High Definition. This
ensures that as HDMI technology advances there is adequate
bandwidth needed for future technological developments. This
is a definite advantage over analog cables.
HDMI cables also have the
capability to use “Automatic Format Intelligence”. This
allows your HDMI enabled devices, such as Blu-Ray and HDTV,
to communicate with each other and to make automatic
adjustments. Analog does not have this capability.
Backward Compatibility when
it comes to HDMI is a definite advantage. Being Backward
Compatible means that HDMI is compatible with some earlier
interfaces. HDMI is backwards compatible to Digital Video
Interface (DVI). To convert HDMI to DVI, a simple cable is
required that has a DVI connector on one end and a HDMI
connector on the other end of the cable.
Picture quality in HDMI is
crystal clear and in deep color. Picture and color quality
vary in analog but can never reach the quality of the HDMI
picture and color. Deep colors means that 30 bit, 36 bit,
and 48 bit colors are used in the display.
Sound quality is better in
HDMI because the whole set of signals travels over one cable
instead of over different cables. The sound signal is
transmitted as digital and is never converted so there is no
signal loss, degradation, or noise interference.
There are numerous
advantages of HDMI over analog interfaces, as outlined
above. These advantages to analog video interface are the
latest technological advances, and HDMI is designed with
plenty of room for future advancements, ensuring that the
technology does not become obsolete like so many others.
