[opendtv] Re: HDMI attracts three challengers

  • From: ShLampen <shlampen@xxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:29:30 -0700

Dear List-

This lurker couldn't resist putting in his two cents.

A fully-populated DVI connector contains both analog and digital components.  
The digital portion is identical to HDMI (including handshaking and HDCP copy 
protection).  I know.  I have an "old" plasma that is DVI so I bought an HDMI 
to DVI adaptor cable for my BluRay player.  Just note that the audio in HDMI is 
not brought forward and you have to insert the audio through a different 
(analog) path.  But the picture is beautiful.

The analog portion of DVI is essentially VGA, the analog computer screen 
standard.  No copy protection, no handshaking.  So it all depends on what's the 
pin-out on the DVI end.

Hope this is not even MORE confusing!

Steve Lampen
Belden




In a message dated 06/11/09 09:51:03 Pacific Daylight Time, dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx 
writes:

Conflicting information? 

From Mike Tsinberg, Key Digital Systems: 

HDMI to DVI. If HDMI is copy protected as most consumer sources are
&#8211;this is illegal. 

From HDMI.org: 

Q. Is HDMI backward compatible with DVI (Digital Visual Interface)? 

Yes, HDMI is fully backward compatible with DVI compliant devices. HDMI DTVs 
will display video received from existing DVI-equipped products, and 
DVI-equipped TVs will display video from HDMI sources. However, some older PCs 
with DVI are designed only to support computer monitors, not televisions. 
Consumers buying a PC with DVI should make sure that it specifically includes 
support for television formats and not just computer monitors. 

Also, consumers may want to confirm that the DVI interface supports 
High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), as content that requires HDCP 
copy protection will require that both the HDMI and DVI devices support HDCP to 
properly view the video content. 

http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/faq.aspx#31 

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