HD DVD, Blu-ray and HDMI 1.3 – Soylent Green is PEOPLE!

Hype and misunderstanding follow the new HDMI v1.3 and how it relates to high resolution audio formats found on HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. Many believe that in order to take advantage of the audio formats, you have to buy all new supporting products. That's not necessarily true.

Consumers are being bombarded with new products like HD DVD and Blu-ray players that carry new standards in audio and require new protocols to make everything work. HDMI (High Definition Multi-media Interface) is a new interface designed to simplify hooking up all your audio/video gear. For the first time ever, we can connect audio and video through one high bandwidth cable. The interface is also compatible with HDCP (High Definition Content Protection) – so you don't have to worry about a high def DRM boogeyman.

Recently, HDMI released its latest version; 1.3. Here are a few of the things HDMI 1.3 will do for you:

  • Higher Speeds
  • Deeper Color (up to 16-bit)
  • Makes you taller, more attractive
  • HD lossless audio support

The source of some very good information on HDMI and support for HD lossless audio formats, the horses mouth - hdmi.org.

HDMI 1.3 does, indeed, support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. Many new HD DVD and Blu-ray discs have an available audio track in these high resolution lossless audio formats. But they have to be decoded to be heard properly.

So, if your player and receiver have HDMI 1.3, your HD DVD or Blu-ray player can read the TrueHD soundtrack and send it in its raw, digital form to your receiver for decoding. But to enjoy the benefits of Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD, you don't need HDMI 1.3.

Soylent Green is People!

The trouble today is that all that HDMI 1.3 gear is expensive. Currently, no HD DVD or Blu-ray play supports sending the raw codec through HDMI; not even Sony's PlayStation 3. [http://www.dvdtalk.com/hd/hdmi_13_and_you.html] Toshiba has only just announced an HD DVD player capable of sending a lossless audio bitstream in the HD-A35.

But before you get depressed about your chances of hearing the new lossless audio formats, don't despair. You don't need HDMI 1.3. HDMI 1.1, which has been out since 2004, supports 8 channels of uncompressed high resolution audio in PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). That means, for the new lossless audio formats, HDMI 1.3 was a solution in search of a problem. But the problem doesn't exist if your player is capable of decoding TrueHD or DTS-HD. You can let your HD DVD or Blu-ray player decode the audio codec (TrueHD or DTS-HD) for your receiver and send itvia HDMI 1.1 – or better, to your receiver. You'll not hear a single bit of difference from those players that are sending the raw codec through HDMI 1.3. Both let you hear the high res audio soundtrack in all of its lossless glory.

10 comments
Posted by izzy on August 24,2009 at 8:46 AM

Can someone help me out.  I recently purchased a set of wireless headphones from Brookstone to use with my Sharp Aquos 47" flat screen TV.  

I installed them as in the instructions, basically, plug the one cable from the transmitter into the output jack on the TV and turn the headsets on.  But it does not work.  I tried looking through the set up menu on the TV but could not find anything.  You can still hearsound from the speakers despite the headsets being turned on.

Does anyone have a clue to making these work before I take them back and get my $55 back.

Posted by teebone2000aet on October 21,2008 at 1:42 PM

Does any one knows what type of equipment transmits tv signal from one part of the room to another room in the home?  ex. wireless transmission.

Posted by teebone2000aet on October 21,2008 at 1:41 PM

Does any one knows what type of equipment transmits tv signal from one part of the room to another room in the home?  ex. wireless transmission.

Posted by francisbost707 on December 11,2007 at 11:01 PM

http://www.carloans-forall.com/

Posted by ALICE LI on November 9,2007 at 3:46 AM

Hello,

Now in order to use all of HCMI products convenience.So many engineers have launched HDMI switchS and spliterS

For example:

HDMI switcher

Model: Switcher0501_mini

Function:  

 HDMI 1.3 protocol compliant.

 Support deep color 36bit and signal retiming.

 Support digital audio format in HDMI: LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD.

 HDCP1.2 protocol compliant.

 Manual or Remote: Select one of 5 different HDMI signal input source, output to the sink.

 Smart use:

It can smartly choose the signal source with priority order.

It can smartly jump over those input sources which are not in work.

 LED indication:

When someone input source device works or someone output sink devices works, the LED relative to the device will be Red.

When someone of the input resource is selected output to the sink devices, the LED relative to this input source is Blue

 Need not DC power. But if someone non-standard device is connected, it needs DC5V input.

Model: TrueMatrix0402_Metal

Function:  

 Support HDMI1.3 deep color 36bit signal for true matrix output.

 Support HDMI1.3 digital audio format: LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD

 HDCP1.2 protocol compliant.

 It can connect 4 different HDMI signal input source, 2 different HDMI display sink.

 The two output signal program can be different or the same.

Example: Parents can select one of 4 different HDMI input signal program for watch LCD, Children can also select one of 4 different HDMI input program for play games in another room. The video can be checked by parents with remote control. At any moment, parents can keep children away from video which is with unseemly content.

 Manual or remote select source input signal to different sink.

 It can smartly jump over those input sources which are not in work.

 LED Indicate:

When someone source device or someone sink display device is working, the LED relative to the device will be red. When someone source is selected to anyone sink, the LED relative to the source will be blue.

 DC5V power supply

AND SO ON!

If you want to know these products specific message ,please feel free contact me

alice_liping@163.com

zhoulifu2002@hotmail.com

Posted by ALICE LI on November 9,2007 at 3:46 AM

Hello,

Now in order to use all of HCMI products convenience.So many engineers have launched HDMI switchS and spliterS

For example:

HDMI switcher

Model: Switcher0501_mini

Function:  

 HDMI 1.3 protocol compliant.

 Support deep color 36bit and signal retiming.

 Support digital audio format in HDMI: LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD.

 HDCP1.2 protocol compliant.

 Manual or Remote: Select one of 5 different HDMI signal input source, output to the sink.

 Smart use:

It can smartly choose the signal source with priority order.

It can smartly jump over those input sources which are not in work.

 LED indication:

When someone input source device works or someone output sink devices works, the LED relative to the device will be Red.

When someone of the input resource is selected output to the sink devices, the LED relative to this input source is Blue

 Need not DC power. But if someone non-standard device is connected, it needs DC5V input.

Model: TrueMatrix0402_Metal

Function:  

 Support HDMI1.3 deep color 36bit signal for true matrix output.

 Support HDMI1.3 digital audio format: LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD

 HDCP1.2 protocol compliant.

 It can connect 4 different HDMI signal input source, 2 different HDMI display sink.

 The two output signal program can be different or the same.

Example: Parents can select one of 4 different HDMI input signal program for watch LCD, Children can also select one of 4 different HDMI input program for play games in another room. The video can be checked by parents with remote control. At any moment, parents can keep children away from video which is with unseemly content.

 Manual or remote select source input signal to different sink.

 It can smartly jump over those input sources which are not in work.

 LED Indicate:

When someone source device or someone sink display device is working, the LED relative to the device will be red. When someone source is selected to anyone sink, the LED relative to the source will be blue.

 DC5V power supply

AND SO ON!

If you want to know these products specific message ,please feel free contact me

alice_liping@163.com

zhoulifu2002@hotmail.com

Posted by ALICE LI on November 9,2007 at 3:46 AM

Hello,

Now in order to use all of HCMI products convenience.So many engineers have launched HDMI switchS and spliterS

For example:

HDMI switcher

Model: Switcher0501_mini

Function:  

 HDMI 1.3 protocol compliant.

 Support deep color 36bit and signal retiming.

 Support digital audio format in HDMI: LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD.

 HDCP1.2 protocol compliant.

 Manual or Remote: Select one of 5 different HDMI signal input source, output to the sink.

 Smart use:

It can smartly choose the signal source with priority order.

It can smartly jump over those input sources which are not in work.

 LED indication:

When someone input source device works or someone output sink devices works, the LED relative to the device will be Red.

When someone of the input resource is selected output to the sink devices, the LED relative to this input source is Blue

 Need not DC power. But if someone non-standard device is connected, it needs DC5V input.

Model: TrueMatrix0402_Metal

Function:  

 Support HDMI1.3 deep color 36bit signal for true matrix output.

 Support HDMI1.3 digital audio format: LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD

 HDCP1.2 protocol compliant.

 It can connect 4 different HDMI signal input source, 2 different HDMI display sink.

 The two output signal program can be different or the same.

Example: Parents can select one of 4 different HDMI input signal program for watch LCD, Children can also select one of 4 different HDMI input program for play games in another room. The video can be checked by parents with remote control. At any moment, parents can keep children away from video which is with unseemly content.

 Manual or remote select source input signal to different sink.

 It can smartly jump over those input sources which are not in work.

 LED Indicate:

When someone source device or someone sink display device is working, the LED relative to the device will be red. When someone source is selected to anyone sink, the LED relative to the source will be blue.

 DC5V power supply

AND SO ON!

If you want to know these products specific message ,please feel free contact me

alice_liping@163.com

zhoulifu2002@hotmail.com

Posted by ALICE LI on November 9,2007 at 3:46 AM

Hello,

Now in order to use all of HCMI products convenience.So many engineers have launched HDMI switchS and spliterS

For example:

HDMI switcher

Model: Switcher0501_mini

Function:  

 HDMI 1.3 protocol compliant.

 Support deep color 36bit and signal retiming.

 Support digital audio format in HDMI: LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD.

 HDCP1.2 protocol compliant.

 Manual or Remote: Select one of 5 different HDMI signal input source, output to the sink.

 Smart use:

It can smartly choose the signal source with priority order.

It can smartly jump over those input sources which are not in work.

 LED indication:

When someone input source device works or someone output sink devices works, the LED relative to the device will be Red.

When someone of the input resource is selected output to the sink devices, the LED relative to this input source is Blue

 Need not DC power. But if someone non-standard device is connected, it needs DC5V input.

Model: TrueMatrix0402_Metal

Function:  

 Support HDMI1.3 deep color 36bit signal for true matrix output.

 Support HDMI1.3 digital audio format: LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD

 HDCP1.2 protocol compliant.

 It can connect 4 different HDMI signal input source, 2 different HDMI display sink.

 The two output signal program can be different or the same.

Example: Parents can select one of 4 different HDMI input signal program for watch LCD, Children can also select one of 4 different HDMI input program for play games in another room. The video can be checked by parents with remote control. At any moment, parents can keep children away from video which is with unseemly content.

 Manual or remote select source input signal to different sink.

 It can smartly jump over those input sources which are not in work.

 LED Indicate:

When someone source device or someone sink display device is working, the LED relative to the device will be red. When someone source is selected to anyone sink, the LED relative to the source will be blue.

 DC5V power supply

AND SO ON!

If you want to know these products specific message ,please feel free contact me

alice_liping@163.com

zhoulifu2002@hotmail.com

Posted by Wayde on August 21,2007 at 12:29 AM

Yes, PS3 has an HDMI 1.3 port. Sony announced it would long before the PS3 was released, it's the first device to have HDMI 1.3.

But it does not 'currently' bitstream TrueHD/DTS-HD through HDMI (which is what HDMI 1.3 can support).

Good article HDMI 1.3 and YOU!

http://www.dvdtalk.com/hd/

We verified that PS3 could decode TrueHD but at that time it couldn't decode DTS-HD - it should with a future upgrade. After it decodes the lossless audio format - it can send the uncompressed audio signal through HDMI ports.

But the HDMI 1.3 isn't required for this feat - that was the point of the article. I was not knocking Sony PS3. If I were to knock Sony's PS3 I would simply cite it's lack of games.

Posted by ???? on August 20,2007 at 1:47 PM

the ps3 most certaintly supports hdmi 1.3, do some research, oh my bad, your a hddvd supporter web site, well, eat *** then, good luck with false news