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But Were Afraid to Ask In this Advantage Series from CE Pro read about tips for grounding, trouble-shooting, and selecting HDMI cables and which types of system set-ups require which type of cable.

Everything You Need to know about HDMI

CEPro Advantage Series • March 2010 • Everything You Need to Know About HDMI© 2010 EH Publishing

CEPro Advantage Series • March 2010 • Everything You Need to Know About HDMI i

High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) has become the cable medium of choice among Hollywood studios, integrators and consumers, but it hasn’t been a smooth transition. The cabling protects the digital rights of Hollywood

from copy infringements while transmitting high-res 1080p images to flat panels and projectors. But like any new technology, HDMI has been plagued by problems for several years, only now getting its mojo. As installers in the field encounter compatibility issues, they need to know as much about HDMI as possible to make systems work properly.

This Advantage Series will provide troubleshooting tips, a review of the new HDMI specs and advice on selecting the right cable.

CE Pro Advantage Series: Everything You Need to Know About HDMI

CEPro Advantage Series • March 2010 • Everything You Need to Know About HDMI ii

Table of Contents

3 HDMI Troubleshooting Tips Revisiting three gems from HDMI Corner columnist Jeff Boccaccio.

By Tom LeBlanc 1

HDMI: High Emissions, Poor Grounds Don’t Mix Good grounding techniques help keep long HDMI installations out of harm’s way.

By Jeff Boccaccio 3 When is High Speed HDMI Required?

Licensing identifies four types of cables and outlines when each is necessary for 1080p.

By Jason Knott 4 The Importance of Good Signal Integrity

You’ll have a really bad day if you don’t maintain good signal integrity in all equipment.

By Jeff Boccaccio 6 4 Tips for Choosing the Right HDMI Cable

CE pro offers tips on choosing the right HDMI cable for your clients.

By Robert Archer 7 The Evolution of HDMI

Spec has changed five times since 2002 inception to mimic the landscape of digital media.

By Jason Knott 9

CEPro Advantage Series • March 2010 • Everything You Need to Know About HDMI 1

P EOPLE LISTEN WHEN JEFF Boccaccio talks about HDMI. But they don’t always understand what he’s saying the first time they hear it.

Since CE pros continue to hit roadblocks with HDMI-related installations, it bears looking back on some of Boccaccio’s recent troubleshooting tips.

1. Check Your TerminationInstallers can experience issues when terminating Cat 5/6 HDMI extenders.

The final installation involves stripping the outer Cat insulation, breaking out the twisted pairs and connecting them to whatever you’re using.

If using an RJ45 connector, Boccaccio writes that installers must prep the individual twisted pairs for insertion. (If using a punchdown system, “good luck,” he adds.)

Timing is an issue with terminated Cat 5/6. Boccaccio tells installers that when breaking out twisted pairs they need to be very careful not to nick any of the wires, keep each TMDS twisted pair equal in the amount of twists and length and make sure to insert each wire all the way to the stop inside the RJ45.

3 HDMI Troubleshooting TipsRevisiting three gems from HDMI Corner columnist Jeff Boccaccio. By Tom LeBlanc

tips

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2. Stay GroundedIntermittent problems over long distance in HDMI installations are pretty common. The longer you go, the more susceptible you are in real-world conditions, according to Boccaccio.

As with any electronic device, a complete circuit is required for the system to operate. In most cases these circuits use ground as the main signal return a hard rail ground or 0 volts.

Increase the resistance of that ground by just a few ohms and some crazy things can happen. Good grounding techniques will keep you out of harm’s way.

3. Slow Switching SolutionBoccaccio says HDMI input switching (from TV to Blu-ray player, etc.) has been measured to take as long as 7 seconds. That can be intolerable.

He recommends using Silicon Image’s InstaPort semiconductor, which memorizes switching information to make subsequent switches much easier.HDMI: High Emissions, Poor Grounds Don’t Mix. n

3 HDMI Troubleshooting Tips

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I ’VE HEARD FROM CE PROS having intermittent problems over long distance in HDMI installations. These problems can range from a completely non-operational system to systems that come on and then go

off with AC power switch activations.

It’s been quite a challenge to troubleshoot these issues because they are somewhat rare, and the problems are only evident at the job sites. The issues are related to a host of factors, including installation and environment.

The level of research on this subject is deep and can’t be covered here, so I will just cut to the chase. One of the first things you must keep in the back of your noggin is that the longer you go, the more susceptible you are in real-world conditions. Also, remember Murphy’s Law. This should not be new to you.

As with any electronic device, a complete circuit is required for the system to operate. In most cases these circuits use ground as the main signal return. Like any well-executed circuit ground, it is always considered as a hard rail ground or 0 volts.

That is, of course, if you are operating in Never Never Land and all things are perfect. We don’t live in that town.

Increase the resistance of that ground by just a few ohms and some crazy things can happen. Good grounding techniques will keep you out of harm’s way. n

HDMI: High Emissions, Poor Grounds Don’t Mix Good grounding techniques help keep long HDMI installations out of harm’s way. By Jeff Boccaccio

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IN AN ATTEMPT TO MINIMIZE CONFUSION surrounding HDMI 1.4, HDMI Licensing LLC has created a four-category labeling system. There previously were only two types of HDMI cables:

Standard HDMI Cable: Supports up to 720p/1080i up to bandwidth of 2.25Gbps.

High Speed HDMI Cable: Supports 1080p or higher, including 3D or 4k/2k, up to bandwidth of 10.2Gbps.

With the introduction of HDMI 1.4, there are two new cables:

Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet: Supports up to 720p/1080i supporting up to a total uncompressed bandwidth of 2.25Gbps. Adds support for HDMI Ethernet Channel (up to 100Mbps).

High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet: Supports 1080p or higher up to an uncompressed bandwidth of 10.2Gbps. Adds support for HDMI Ethernet Channel (up to 100Mbps).

Only home theaters with Internet connections will require an HDMI cable with Ethernet. All other existing cables will support the remaining features of HDMI 1.4.

“With HDMI 1.4, only the Ethernet Channel requires a new upgraded cable,” reiterates Jeff Park, technology evangelist for HDMI Licensing LLC. “That is only exception that requires a new cable.”

Below is a chart of all the possible features of HDMI and what cables are required for each feature.

When is High Speed HDMI Required?HDMI Licensing identifies four types of cables and outlines when each is necessary for 1080p. By Jason Knott

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When a homeowner is watching TV (or a projector) in any format below 1080p, there are only two instances when he will need a High Speed Cable: • Deep Color • 120Hz from the source

In both of these cases, if the homeowner is viewing 720p or 1080i content, a High Speed Cable is necessary because those features require almost double the bandwidth of standard definition.

Finally, 120Hz from the source is very different from the 120Hz or 240Hz achieved through upscaling built into the TV. All TVs manufactured today upscale the signal inside the display. If the signal is being upscaled, having a High Speed Cable will not make a difference. n

HDMI: When Is High-Speed HDMI Required?

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NINETY PERCENT OF THE TIME, HDMI-related system failures are related to poor signal integrity.

Integrity issues can arise with Blu-ray players, A/V receivers (AVRs), settop boxes, cables, baluns, switches, displays and more. You can’t afford to neglect any area.

We recently received a call regarding an HDMI system failure. The setup seemed pretty basic, with just a Blu-ray player and two settop boxes. Piece of cake, right? Well, the Blu-ray player worked for about one minute, while the settop boxes did not work at all.

A 5-meter cable was coupling the output of the AVR to the display. Reconfiguring the system by connecting the Blu-ray directly to the monitor produced “sparkles” (this isn’t good). By adding de-emphasis equalization (EQ) to the cable, we cured those.

When connecting the Blu-ray back to input 1 on the AVR, the player was still OK. But the cable boxes were still kaput.

We tried both cable settop boxes on input 1 and had no problem. When we tried the Blu-ray player on inputs 2 and 3, it failed on input 2, but worked on input 3. We added HDCP correction to the output of each settop box and, finally, all problems were corrected.

Every part was at fault except for perhaps the Blu-ray player and the display. We had a poor cable, settop boxes with poor EDID and HDCP data, and an AVR that had only one input with enough integrity to play nicely. Removing the cable EQ killed everything.

So be sure to maintain good signal integrity in all equipment and installation techniques, or you’re in for a really bad day. n

The Importance of Good Signal IntegrityYou’ll have a really bad day if you don’t maintain good signal integrity in all equipment. By Jeff Boccaccio

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IT WAS ONLY A FEW years ago that the use of analog-based component video and RCA audio connections were sufficient for most installations.

Today, due to high bit-rate data (and copyright protection), the need to implement HDMI is paramount.

Choosing the right HDMI cable can be a daunting task. Steve Lampen, multimedia technology manager for cable manufacturer Belden Inc., offers tips for making wise HDMI cabling choices.

1. Consider Gauge Size.Bigger wires go farther. “Just be sure that the size of the connectors will fit next to each other,” he says. “The majority of HDMI cables are about 2 meters. For those smaller lengths, 26 AWG twisted-pair cable is OK.”

2. Meet 1080p Requirements.Lampen says dealers should look for evidence that the cables have been tested and certified to meet industry 1080p standards. “Top manufacturers use tests — the ‘eye-pattern test’ and other tests for impedance, attenuation, crosstalk and skew,” he says.

Also, he says, make sure the tests apply to the specific length that is being considered for the job.

4 Tips for Choosing the Right HDMI CableCE pro offers tips on choosing the right HDMI cable for your clients. By Robert Archer

tips

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3. Consider UL-Rated Cables.For residential and commercial applications, which include in-wall installations, Lampen recommends UL-rated products. “Keep in mind that NEC fire ratings are required for commercial installations,” he adds.

4. Buy the Best.“Cheap, no-name products can degrade the signal and lead to problems such as pixel loss, tiling and loss of color depth,” Lampen explains.

Lampen also warns installers to be wary of some of the design flaws dogging HDMI connectors. “You may want to look at after-market fastening devices.” n

4 Tips for Choosing the Right HDMI Cable

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Remember when DVI and Firewire were the cat’s meow? It wasn’t that long ago that the acronym HDMI was non-existent. Today, it’s nearly ubiquitous (thanks to Hollywood’s help).

The standard has come a long way since its inception in 2002. Five updates later, questions still abound with HDMI 1.4.

“There have been a lot of questions about the different versions of HDMI. One thing I want to emphasize is that HDMI is backward compatible from 1.0 through 1.4,” says Jeff Park, technology evangelist for HDMI Licensing LLC.

“What that means is the basic foundation of the spec that was first introduced in 2002 is the same, and all the new specs introduced since then have been added on top of the original foundation.

“That means if you installed a 720p plasma in 2002 and the client calls you back to install a new Blu-ray player in 2010, those two devices will work together at the highest point possible. But since the TV is limited to 720p, that means all the devices in the connection will automatically default to 720p. You are not going to be able to magically upgrade the client’s 720p television to 1080p by connecting it to a new cable or new Blu-ray player, but you are not going to lose the 720p capability.”

That same backwards-compatibility holds true with HDMI 1.4., says Park, pointing out the new features that include:

The Evolution of HDMISpec has changed five times since 2002 inception to mimic the landscape of digital media. By Jason Knott

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HDMI Ethernet Channel — “This is the biggest new feature,” says Park. The feature is a parallel data channel. According to In-Stat, 24 percent of all devices and 80 percent of Blu-ray players now being connected devices that need to communicate directly with the Internet for downloading purposes. Park says Video on Demand (VOD) is driving the demand for broadband-connected devices such as Netflix, Vudu and others. The HDMI Ethernet Channel feature was required to meet that demand.

“As you add this connectivity, you need to simplify the usage,” says Park. “Having more and more cables complicates things. So, it is all handled with a single HDMI cable. It’s completely parallel to A/V communications, so the new Ethernet channel does not take away from the quality of the audio and video while enabling high-speed, bi-directional communication at transfer rates as high as 100Mbps.”

Audio Return Channel (ARC) — In a TV with a built-in tuner, in the past an installer would have to run a separate audio cable between the TV and the receiver in order to get surround sound processing in a home theater set up. It really hasn’t been a common problem in the past, but as more VOD services are offered — only accessible through the TV’s built-in tuner — it will be.

Other features in HDMI 1.4 include 3D support, 4k/2k support, more color spaces and new connectors. n

4 Tips for Choosing the Right HDMI Cable

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CE Pro Advantage Series: Everything You Need to Know About HDMI