Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: HDMI, 3D, cables, etc

This is topic HDMI, 3D, cables, etc in forum The Afterlife at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Julio Roberto (Member # 4976) on 03-12-2010, 04:34 PM:

Now that HDMI specs 1.4a have recently been approved (from 1.4 last December), adding a couple of 3D TV modes for television transmissions and a few other things, and since many around here are interested in 3D blu-rays and whatnot, here is a good summary of specs from a consumer point of view by HDMI.

http://www.hdmi.org/devcon2009/DevCon_Presentation_HDMI_LLC-Final_091809.pdf

Basically just a quick note that HDMI cat 2 cables (AKA "high speed" and also improperly known as as "1.3a") are perfectly capable of all the features in HDMI spec 1.4a, including full HD 3D and 4K or 10bits colors, except the new ethernet-over-hdmi specs.

So don't be fooled by new "hdmi 1.4" cables or whatnot. Not such thing exists. Only cat1 and cat2 cables. Cat2 are fine for all normal uses of HDMI 1.3a or HDMI 1.4a.

Also there is missinformation on 3D blu-ray over cat2 being inferior 1080i or whatnot. This is not the case, as you can read in the document above. The confusion may come from some 1.3a chipsets that don't have enough bandwidth to do full 1080p60 3D ("120fps") properly and can only do 1080p24-3D (48fps). That's only an issue if you have CERTAIN old 1.3a devices that can do 3D with a firmware upgrade. No worry if you have a 1.4 device or a 1.3 device that supports the full clock rate.

It has nothing to do with the cable itself, though.

Cables remain the same, cat1 and cat2 (high speed), except that now you can have a variation that includes added ethernet for some advanced bi-directional uses.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 03-12-2010, 05:49 PM:

So we've now got two different types of cable, and no less than five different HDMI connectors, great. I suppose a miniature connector would be required for small portable equipment, but we really don't need this.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-12-2010, 06:54 PM:

quote: Stephen Furley
I suppose a miniature connector would be required for small portable equipment, but we really don't need this.

Rest assured that either Apple or Sony will introduce some new device that will be the only one in the world to use that connector.

Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 03-12-2010, 06:56 PM:

I assume you don't need a silver screen to show 3D Blu-Rays at home.

Posted by Julio Roberto (Member # 4976) on 03-12-2010, 07:15 PM:

quote: Ron Curran
I assume you don't need a silver screen to show 3D Blu-Rays at home.

If you are not planning on using polarized projection at home, which you can do with a single projector and a RealD zscreen i.e., or with 2 projectors and passive filters, then no.

http://www.reald.com/Content/Files/RealD_LP_Flyer.pdf

Silver screens are only needed for polarized projection.

Most home options are geared towards the use of active shutter glasses, like XpanD uses in cinemas. Thus a single 3D projector on a white screen or a 3D-ready television set is all that's needed to watch 3D blue rays at home. Plus the active glasses, of course. The first compatible TV sets start hitting the stores next week.

XpanD, by the way, uses the same (new model) glasses for home systems and theaters. And I mean ex-ac-tly the same model, which can link to 3 different protocols, one of which is for the cinema use and another for home DLP projectors. So people can buy their glasses for home and then take them over to the theater if they want to have their own pair.

But other systems, including dual-infitec (Dolby 3D) systems, can be used at home. Dolby doesn't require a silver screen.

http://shop.more3d.com/Webshop/Products/100-infitec-filter-set.aspx

(Don't be shocked by the price tag ... it's obsolete and includes dual-analog VGA on the fly color correction hardware [Wink]

)

Some manufacturers will soon have compatible passive-glasses options in the market. There are alredy several passive-glasses LCD TV's out from JVC, Hyundai and others, but they were made before the HDMI 1.4 specs were finalized and are not compatible yet with the new norms.

Since the cheapest option for manufacturer's is the active glasses routes (they don't have to change current TV's, just update the firmware and include a $0.05 IR led to sync and up the retail price by $500+), then most initial 3D offers will be using that system.