Joel Silver's Perspective on HDMI
In a digital world, with a digital signal and a digital television, why on earth would you ever consider an analog connection? Converting to analog, then back from analog to digital in the last meter presents a serious problem, because it does degrade images. Occam’s razor applies here: the simplest solution is usually the best solution. Digital to digital to digital is the simplest solution, and the best.
The HDMI specification is a formidable document that, unfortunately, many manufacturers have not read. Those who have read it are doing quite well, but there are many others who have not implemented HDMI properly. HDMI 1.3a marked a turning point in the success of HDMI, because HDCP testing finally became a reality. Better testing has solved many of the problems we’ve been wrestling with since the dawn of HDMI. Serious HDCP handshake issues, inept cable construction, inept implementation of the system. Yes, there were problems, but I don’t know of any new technology – anything cool – that didn’t have problems when it first launched. The problem was never that HDMI was a bad system; the problem was bad implementation of the system.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do
not necessarily represent the views and opinions of HDMI Licensing, LLC,
the HDMI Founders or any of their respective parent organizations or
affiliates.