Consumers Revolt Sour On HDMI 1.4

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HDMI-generic.gifYou knew at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that 3D was going to be the next big thing in home theater. The AV industry, as a whole, has been living off of "the next big thing" since the VHS - BETA format war with Dolby Pro Logic, Laserdisc, DVD, DTS, satellite television, satellite radio, DVD-Audio / SACD, flat HDTVs, HD DVD and Blu-ray as a procession of proof. The problem is consumers are getting a little tired of keeping up with the Jones' when it comes to consumer electronics.

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HDMI offered itself as the one-cable solution that could do it all including pass HD video signal along with high resolution 7.1 audio in ways that DVD-Audio and SACD couldn't dream of. But that dream has quickly become a nightmare with HDMI handshake issues so severe that consumers can't make players talk with receivers and or receivers talk with monitors. It's a total mess. And to make things worse, the morons behind HDMI think that it's somehow OK to make new HDMI versions that aren't backwards compatible with new formats.

Enter HDMI 1.4.

Why do you need HDMI 1.4? Well, do you want 3D on your cutting edge HDTV? If so - you need HDMI 1.4. Do any cable manufacturers have HDMI 1.4 products on the street today? Nope. Are there HDMI 1.4 Blu-ray players out there? Yes, from the likes of Sony and Samsung - but they need massive firmware updates to display 3D if you have plans on that. HDMI 1.4 receivers just hit store shelves in the last few weeks but if you use an AV preamp - FORGET about HDMI 1.4. It's just not out yet and for what - so you can get 3D material? What disc might you be playing back today in 3D from Blu-ray? Oh, wait - there is no software out there either.

The mainstream consumer electronics industry needs to deal with their HDMI issues before they can earn the right to keep selling vapor- and futureware to consumers. HDMI 1.4 is out of control in that consumers actually need a) a new receiver or AV preamp b) a new Blu-ray player c) all new cables d) a new satellite receiver for DirecTV and e) glasses to watch the material which cost more than the Blu-players. All of this reinvestment spits in the face of even the most open-minded and well heeled consumers who might not want to throw away their entire home theater systems so they can see two or three possible blockbuster 3D titles.

The truth is that 3D sets are going to be killer HDTVs for 2D material. The next generation of Blu-ray players will all have HDMI 1.4 capability which will set the table for 3D. New AV preamps and receivers will be plentiful in six to nine months but for now, without question, HDMI 1.3 is perfectly acceptable for cutting edge home theater. Avoid the hype but be mindful of the future as 3D is coming to a flat HDTV near you and you will some day need to be ready. For now, HDMI 1.3 is plenty good enough for the cutting edge of home theater.

  • Comment on this article

  • By Ron Davidson

3D TV...I dont think so Skippy! I still dont understand people spending $25,000+ on a *Home Theater*. I bought the last of the SONY Rear Projection 60" TV's and a really nice 2.1 Stereo System. Total Cost: $5,000. With the $20,000 I didnt spend...I can buy groceries for the next 4 years!

  • By bobster

The only difference between v1.4 HDMI and v1.3 is Ethernet. All v1.3 HDMI models are the same as v1.4 except for that. I contend that the ethernet capability is the last link in the chain of control the studios want to impose on our systems, so they can monitor what we watch, and make sure we dont copy it. Call me a cynic, but its not about performance, its about control. The fact they were able to use the 3D issue to force the ethernet connection with v1.4 was to convenient for my tastes.

  • By greg

Sometime I wonder what this is all for..............Right now consumers are at peace. The HDDVD Blu-Ray battle is over. No more trauma for the consumer. They can by a nice home theater, have it installled, by a Blu-ray disc w/o a problem, and all is well. 1.4 is later down the road. Even if its only 6 months. Make all the sales you can now while you can, before introducing yet, another new technology. Especially, at least here in NY, summer is coming................................

  • By JollyGreenGiant

Don't replace your HDMI cables! You can get 3D with a high speed HDMI cable - IF you have a 3D Bluray and a 3D TV. Want to have an Internet connection? Run a $3 Ethernet cable (aka RJ-45, network, cat5e, cat6, data cable) to your TV/BluRay/Receiver or whatever device. Only have one Internet/ethernet cable? Get an inexpensive $20 network switch to let you connect several devices. With an HDMI cable, you only need to know if it is high speed (1080p and more) or low speed (720p). Existing cables can still send the HD and 3D signals, just not network- that's what an HDMI 1.4 cable gives you. Now if you really want to reduce the number of cables and that's important to you, go ahead and get 1.4 cables. 1.4 means one pin that used to be 'unused' is now designated as 'Network', and it is supposed to be shielded, so it's a different physical cable only for the Network capability. 1.4 means the product can handle 3D AND Network over HDMI, it does not mean you MUST run network traffic over HDMI, your old network cable can still handle that just fine.
Of course, since many places don't have the HDMI 1.4 cables yet, it might be a moot point to post this. Then again, I heard (unconfirmed) that Best Buy stopped carrying cat5 network cables so they could sell only cat6 cables at a much higher price. Since they seem to be doing well, the model of making $50 on a sale TV and then picking up $200 in profit on overpriced cables and accessories seems to be working for them. ...but I digress.

  • By MrSpockTwo

This is why, to this day, I will never knowing buy anything from Sony or in Blu-Ray. For those of you with short memories (no disrespect intended) there was a perfectly good standard established for HDTV by Mitsubishi and the Firewire 1394 Trade Association. It was already on TVs and is still mandated by the FCC for set top boxes. It would have provided content protection and allowed delivery of the already compressed HDTV signal to the screen for decompression as the last step. PERFECT. Lower bandwidth cabling. Maintains original signal integrity until the moment of display, and it would handle all of these signals that caused the proliferation of HDMI standards without modification or incompatability Its was already a two way communication vehicle back in 2003. WE BLEW IT by allowing the movie houses (led by SONY) to have their way and introduce a totally new and unnecessary standard called HDMI. The so called HDMI handshake is direct result of that foolishness. I'm out.

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