Posted on 05/30/2009 3:01:20 AM PDT by Las Vegas Dave
Is it time to throw out your HDTV and home theater equipment? Consumer eletronics makers sure hope so. The consortium of companies that help create the standard for high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cables just announced a new specification, called HDMI 1.4, that could further reduce cable clutter. For the uninitiated, HDMI has quickly become the preferred method for transmitting video and audio from a set-top box to a television. Users need only one cable instead of two or more required of older analog TV sets. The new HDMI 1.4 cables, which should become available early next year, add an Ethernet channel that will let two connected devices such as an HDTV and game console share an Internet link (meaning you don’t have to connect each and every device in your home wirelessly or via its own Ethernet cable). The new spec also increases its data exchange rate in the event that data-intensive 3-D televisions take off, and add a neat feature in which new HDMI cables will automatically optimize a TV’s picture based on content types. The catch? The new features in the HDMI 1.4 cables will work only with HDTVs and set-top boxes that go on sale beginning late this year. That means many of us in the installed base of 1 billion devices will either have to make do with what we have until our current equipment conks out.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...
LVD
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I can’t take any of this seriously.
Everybody seems happy these days listening to music on ear pods and staring at who knows what, maybe nips on a two inch diagonal Blackberry or whatever.
I grew up (or so I contend) during the rock era, during the time when HiFi was a complete obsession.
JBL, Marantz, Klipsch, these guys set the standard. It truly is stunning to sit in front of a well configured stereo system that has a couple hundred watts under the sheets (I have 330 WPC pushing the original Polk SDS-SRS’s and will soon have about 550).
Anyways, just ranting...
;-)
Anyways I shouldn’t be beating up on HDTV for this...
UKnowWhutIMean...
Wonder how long HDMI 1.4 will last? They're practically telling you they're going to obsolete it out from under you just like analog TV. "Oh, sorry, nobody broadcasts that standard any more ....."
Well, except for CD’s, I’ve tried to stay analog. I’m forced into digital for TV, but I can live with that.
I have an old AKAI 7.5 IPS R2R, and if I record a CD to it and play it back, it actually sounds better. Something about smoothing out the signal I guess, gives it a warmer, less bright and harsh sound.
To each his own, right?
Data-intensive 3-D television? Tell me more....
I install DirecTV systems and I wish everybody had the most current standard. It is a nightmare for people to hook up a system when they have optical cable, component, composite, hdmi, coax, and now HDMI1.4
You can imagine how frustrated people are when they try to hook up their systems and then figure out what input to use their equipment on.
Users need only one cable instead of two or more required of older analog TV sets.
Must be some really old sets.
I have two old analog sets. When I was using COX cable I connected with one co-ax cable. Last year residents were forced to switch to Mosaic Communications (someone in management owns stock?). They delivered the new crappy converter boxes - I had to buy adapters to connect the three cables to my TV.
By the way, I quickly discovered I preferred cable to satellite - when it rains I lose the signal.
I use it on this player:
Pure aural nirvana. On the go.
Ah, the good old days.
Marantz
Ampex R2R
(can’t remember the name of the British speakers, the best)
“Everybody seems happy these days listening to music on ear pods and staring at who knows what, maybe nips on a two inch diagonal Blackberry or whatever.”
My wife bought me an IPOD Shuffle for Christmas and I love it. Now I can listen to podcast lectures and stories while I’m working on equipment. My young co-workers joke about my choice of media and are always offering to download some music for me but the current trends in music don’t interest me much being an old rocker.
I remember the JBL Paragon dominating the showroom where I worked. I used to tell customers you could just about set paper on fire in front of the 075 ring radiator.
Wharfedale? Goodmans? Tannoy? Quad?
((The 075 ring radiator was the tweeter in some other JBLs in the showroom, not the Paragon.))
Wharfdale. Thanks!
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