Aug/090
New Panasonic HDMI Cables Support 4096 x 2048 Pixel Resolutions
You know, it’s always a nice thing to see some of the most important technology developers come up with cutting-edge products that could seriously improve one’s experiences, whether we’re talking about the cinematographic one, musical one, etc. However, in certain cases, these companies are pushing things a bit too far, and that’s exactly the case with Panasonic, which, in an attempt to launch a product that’s as future-proof as possible, has created some HDMI cables that work best with video players that aren’t out yet
new RP-CDHX series of HDMI cables, which, according to Panasonic’s statement, are able to support data transfer rates of up to 10.2 Gbps. In other words, they support resolutions of up to 4096 x 2048, which, albeit probably representing the future of displays, are not yet implemented in any commercially available video player on the market.
Of course, it’s very likely that these things will do wonders when connected to latest-gen 1080p HDTVs and Blu-ray players, especially since they’re Full 3D and Deep Color-compliant. Moreover, they offer users a wide array of lengths to choose from, ranging between 1.5 and 10 meters.
It’s also important to mention the fact that the HDMI cables come equipped with one type A plug at each end, while the cable themselves measure 4.2 x 18.5 mm, which makes them fairly unobtrusive around one’s house.
As pricing details have not been provided yet, we can only expect these products to be mind-blowing expensive. After all, we’re talking about HDMI cables that support next-gen data transfer rates (I mean, for the time being, there aren’t any commercially available video players to output such signals), at the same time having lengths of up to 10 meters. Pushing the price tag in the vicinity of 500 US dollars, to say the least, doesn’t seem so far-fetched, does it now?
Aug/090
Digi AnywhereUSB Combines USB and Ethernet
USB and Ethernet are probably the best known and most popular wired connectivity options nowadays, so it was to be expected that, at some point, some company would come up with a solution to combine these concepts. In fact, this is exactly what has happened, Digi announcing the AnywhereUSB TS and AnywhereUSB/2 devices, both being a part of its AnywhereUSB family of products.
Digi’s AnywhereUSB products eliminate the need for locally-attached host PCs and break the traditional five-meter USB cabling distance limitation. Customers can access and monitor their devices anywhere an Internet connection is available to simplify operations and reduce IT support.
The first product announced today, the AnywhereUSB TS, is touted by the company as being the industry’s first combined USB and serial over IP hub. It combines Digi’s Realport USB-over-IP and Realport Serial-over-IP technology in one product, allowing customers to easily network both USB and serial devices with one solution. The device features four USB ports, four serial ports and one Ethernet port.
The second product unveiled today, the AnywhereUSB/2, is a compact USB hub featuring Realport USB-over-IP technology. This allows the product to easily connect USB devices anywhere on a wired or wireless network, especially since it features two USB ports and one Ethernet port.
“We are growing the product line to address specific customer needs,” said Stephen Popovich, vice president of business development, Digi International. “In addition to allowing customers to connect both serial and USB devices with one hub, the AnywhereUSB TS provides customers greater flexibility to migrate from serial to USB devices. This is common in healthcare with equipment like blood analyzers or glucose meters and in retail environments.”
Sadly, we haven’t been able to spot any pricing-related details in the company’s statement, so if you’re interested in finding out more on this issue, it’s very likely that you’ll have to contact the manufacturer directly.
Aug/090
The Truth About Monster Cable – Grand Finale (Part III)
I warned you that it was back on. Monster’s priciest—a $250 35-foot HDMI cable—goes toe-to-toe with Monoprice’s longest and thickest—a $35 35-footer and a $53 50-footer. Which will win? Or more importantly, which will fail? Let’s have a look, shall we?
As I mentioned this morning, I skipped the testing on the shorter cables because, using Monster’s own gear, we showed that they could carry today’s 1080p signal without trouble. (One, from XtremeHD, had trouble with some extreme video simulations, but it passed all of the real-world simulations, so you can keep using it… for now.)
But as you know, both the 35-footer and 50-footer from Monoprice failed the 1080p test in the lab. I used the very same cables from the lab for the real world test below, and guess what? The 35-footer did just fine, as did the 35-ft cable from Monster. But Monoprice’s 50-footer gave me some unmistakable trouble signs, as you will see below.
The TV in all of these shots is a Samsung LN-T5265F 52-inch 1080p LCD. It’s nice and big, the better to spot any aberrant cable behavior. I recognize that you might think the TV’s error correction is interfering with the test, to which I reply:
• I ran preliminary tests with a Sony Bravia KDF-37H1000 rear-projection set, but since it had 1080p inputs but only 720p display, couldn’t use it for the finals.
• We are only testing 1080p TV signal. Given that tightened criteria, wouldn’t all new “full HD” sets have at least some competent error correction?
• If error correction is truly the name of the game, then it especially doesn’t matter which cable you buy.
There was actually quite a lot of noise—a bouncing picture that happened so frequently I was able to capture the effect with a still camera. I was able to reproduce the noise with some consistency, too. Here’s the noise detail for you to scrutinize:
While it may seem conclusive that the 50-foot Monoprice is not a good choice, I was fortunate enough to have another 50-footer from the company, one that was not part of the original lab test. When I used it, I was not able to reproduce the noise. Furthermore, I double-checked the noisy cable on the Sony Bravia KDF-37H1000 with 1080p input (but 720p display) and again could not duplicate it.
The missing piece is Monster’s “No Frills” $300 50-footer. I know some of you wish I had tested it, that it had been part of this from the beginning. I don’t have a time machine to fix that, but I will say that, given how the Monster 35 footer (10M) did in the lab, chances are you’re not going to see noise on the Monster 50 footer.
For the love of God, what does it all mean???
I have to say I for one have learned a few things with all of this testing, and I hope you have too. The way I see it:
• It never pays to buy a Monster cable first. It doesn’t even make sense to buy the “marked down” $50 cable you can buy if you don’t want Monster. Go online, order your cables, and wait.
• Even if you’re going for the long haul, try a cheaper cable from a reliable vendor first. Monoprice isn’t the only one. During this process I’ve spoken with good people at FireFold, DataPro International, and others, and tested an assortment of discount products, with no noticeable problems. I am confident that, if a vendor has a solid return policy and satisfaction guarantee, you should feel free to buy even a super-long cable from a discount house. In the case of my 50-footer noise, a quick return would have been all that was required.
• Monster has a point about future-proofing. I have no doubt, given our testing, that Monster cables can outperform other cables in video formats that are not yet in use. What does this mean for a consumer? Does it make sense to spend $300 now on a 50-foot cable, assuming you will spend thousands to upgrade all of your video equipment around it in the next few years? Logic dictates that the answer is no.
• The only people who should buy Monster cable are people who light cigars with Benjamins. Fortunately for Monster, there are plenty of those people. They’re not even suckers, they are just rich as hell, and want the best. This testing did not prove that Monster is not the best. It just proved that the best is, for the most part, unnecessary.
Aug/090
Verizon Wireless Intros AD3700 Global Mobile USB Modem
If you live in the UK but also need to travel everywhere around the world, you might want to have a Mobile Broadband USB modem that not only connects to local networks but features global connectivity as well. This is where the AD3700 comes in. The AD3700 Mobile Broadband USB modem is Verizon Wireless’ response to people who need to be connected no matter where they are in the world. Let us take a look at this interesting gadget, shall we?
Well, the AD3700 can connect to more than 175 destinations such as EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized), GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution), HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) and even UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). Basically, wherever you may be, you will be connected no matter what network resides there.
All that users need is to activate the global feature on their Verizon Wireless account and they will be automatically forwarded to the fastest network available in order to receive the fastest Internet speed that is possible on that network. The device features the VZAccess Manager software that installs automatically and allows for easy management of connectivity, swivel hinge USB, is windows Vista/XP/2000 (who uses 2000 anymore?) compatible and weighs around 1.6 ounces.
With a two-year customer agreement on a Mobile Broadband plan, you’ll be paying 79.99 USD after a 50USD mail-in rebate. Pretty interesting stuff, don’t you think? Though I have to admit I would be more curious as to how much connecting from a different part of the world is going to cost. I mean, who wants to end up like someone I read about who paid a huge bundle of cash because he downloaded a movie in Mexico?
Aug/090
Is HDMI the ultimate digital source or just souped up DVI
High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) has been largely hailed as the ultimate interface to enjoy supreme quality high definition audio and video but is it really that good, after all, surely DVI is just as good. Do we really need HDMI?
HDMI was developed with the specific intention of replacing DVI. DVI was primarily used to convert analogue signals to digital for computer monitors. There are actually three different types of DVI, which are DVI-A, DVI-D and DVD-I.
DVI-A uses analogue signals the same as VGA. DVI-D uses a digital signal (as with modern home cinema systems and consumer products). DVI-I is a combination of both DVI-A and DVI-D. Modern electronics use the single link standard for performance but DVI-I can handle this as well as dual link to make it adaptable for future advancements. DVI-I supports a fully digital protocol, which means video up to 1080p can be viewed.
HDMI on the other hand offers an uncompressed digital audio and video interface that has the full support of manufacturers including Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba to name but a few. Major movie companies too have backed HDMI including Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures. HDMI offers an interface that can connect any audio or video source together. It can do this through a single HDMI cable.
HDMI supports high definition video, normal video as well as digital audio and also have bandwidth to spare in order to make it ready for future advancements in HDMI technology. It must be remembered though that HDMI and DVI are a lot similar and are actually based on a set of specifications that were extremely alike, in fact, HDMI was derived from the DVI requirements.
So, is HDMI any different to DVI? Well yes it is. HDMI actually incorporates a form of content security known as High Definition Content Protection (HDCP). HDMI also can support both audio and video signals through one cable at the same time whereas DVI is limited to only video.
The number of cables needed to set up with DVI is at least two. One is for the audio and one is for the video. HDMI requires only a single HDMI cable therefore leaving fewer cables to be tangled up behind the electronic equipment. This means that anyone using HDMI is going to end up with a cleaner less cluttered space around their equipment.
The important thing to remember is that quality wise; HDMI and DVI are the same. This is because as mentioned earlier they are both derived from the same specifications but HDMI’s ability to support digital audio gives it the edge over DVI. Combine this with the fact that HDMI can do this through a single HDMI cable and it is easy to see why HDMI and HDMI cables have proved to be so popular.
Aug/090
Optoma Released the Sub-$1,000 1080p Projector
At the beginning of August, Vivitek made a splash by announcing the H1080FD, a $999 1080p HD projector, the first to come in below the $1,000 barrier. 
Sure enough, Optoma Technology has introduced the HD20, a 1080p DLP digital projector, also priced at $999 and now available through a variety of retailers and e-tailers.
Incorporating Texas Instruments’ 1080p DLP chipset, the projector offers two HDMI inputs, allowing users to connect to more than one device at a time, such as their cable/satellite receiver and DVD player or video gaming system. It also provides VGA, component and composite video inputs for connection to other devices. The HD20 is rated at 1,700 ANSI lumens, with a 4,000:1 contrast ratio. The projection lamp is rated to last up to 4,000 hours in standard mode or 3,000 hours in bright mode.
The HD20 operates at a native 1080p resolution (1,920 by 1,080 pixels), while it also is compatible with most computer formats, such as UXGA, WXGA, SXGA+, SXGA, XGA, SVGA, VGA resized, VESA, PC and Macintosh, and it can also accept common global video inputs and video formats up to 1080p (HDTV, EDTV, SDTV, NTSC, PAL, SECAM). The HD20 weighs 6.4 pounds and is equipped with a remote control (with batteries) that has backlit illumination, a composite video cable, and other accessories.
The HD20 incorporates a rapid shutdown feature, and it comes with a one-year parts and labor warranty, with the lamp being covered for 90 days.
Aug/090
Atlona Extends HDMI Range Way Beyond Your Neighbor’s House
Atlona Technologies, manufacturer of Audio Video accessories, is about to release its newest line of HDMI extenders featuring RS232 and Stereo Audio over Dual Cat5/6/7. Its new, upcoming siblings, that it is excited to announce, are the AT-HDS100SR and the AT-HDS250SR. These new little components of its massive line-up of audio video connectivity accessories are designed for long HDMI runs and are a twisted pair of transmitter and receiver modules that feature stereo audio, as well as RS-232 data signals.
HDMI signal along with stereo audio and RS-232 inputs are converted into dual cat 5/6/7 by the transmitter units of the Atlona extenders. The receiver modules then decrypt that twisted pair signal back into the HDMI with stereo audio and RS-232 data signals. Just like any extender setup; you get an encoder and a decoder that can communicate between themselves over a bigger range than the signal you want to extend.
The AT-HDS100SR modules are capable of extending HDMI signal way up to 100 meters, usable for indoor parties in large locations, conference rooms and such. The AT-HDS250SR, on the other hand, can extend the signal much further, reaching 250 meters. That’s already outdoor festivals lengths, politic speeches or something like that.
For the given lengths, both modules can maintain the full quality of HDMI with video resolutions up to 1920 x 1200 with no signal degradation. Atlona’s new HDMI extender units are both stocked full of features including an embedded equalizer, gain and CTI adjustments. Of course, a built-in EDID for necessary data storing was not forgotten. Besides being HDCP compliant, these modules come included with wall mountable brackets.
Aug/090
Output VGA Video Via USB Ports
Here’s something you don’t see everyday. Remember that USB 2 HDMI PC adapter? I can’t remember the company. Anyway, it was supposed to mux audio video signals from your audio card and USB port and output them to HDMI signals.
I looks like WITECH came up with another similar USB-video idea. Their Multi-I USB video card provides two standard VGA output connectors and one USB-B input. By hooking up the device at an PC’s USB port you can output video via the two VGA ports at a maximum resolution of 1400×1054. This uses the DisplayLink technology which can convert USB data to video output. You can also interconnect more Multi-I devices (also known as daisy-chaining) so that you can broadcast single input signal to tens of displays at the same time.
It is to bad that the company had to settle for a maximum of 1400×1050 resolution. Most 22” widescreen LCD’s come with a 1680×1050 resolution so this might be a problem. But the truth is this isn’t their fault. It’s a hardware limitation. Let me explain why. We have to start by knowing that the an Usb 2.0 connection provides a theoretical limit of 480Mbits/second. We have 1400×1050 pixels so that means a total of 1470000 pixels.
Each pixels requires 32bits of data (8 bits per color channel – RGB, and 8 bits for alpha). This adds up to 47040000 bits of data. We divide this big number to 1024 twice. The first value will represent the same amount of data in kilobits and the later the same amount in megabits. So we end up with approx. 45Mbits of data for a single frame. But remember that in order to have smooth video output you need at least 24 or 25 frames per second (30 being even better). So if you do the math you find out that at max. resolution, the USB 2.0 port would need to output data at over 1000Mbits/s (1076 actually).
How is that possible? It isn’t. This is obtained by using the proprietary DisplayLink technology which uses an image compression algorithm. The algorithm works by utilizing some amount of CPU processing power, so if you have a slow CPU you can forget about using that 1400×1050 resolution.
A compression algorithm has to achieve a balance in the compression ratio and resource usage. If they where to make the algorithm more aggressive CPU powered would have been compromised. An image can only be compressed up to a certain point without quality loss. So even with a more aggressive algorithm, there are minimal chances for improvement. We’ll juast have to wait for USB 3.0.
Aug/090
Make Sure that Your HDMI Cable Never Disconnects
One of the worst things that could happen to pretty much any person who owns a home entertainment system is for one of the cables connecting the system’s various components to get loose or/and disconnected from the input exactly when watching a movie. Of course, connecting it back is not exactly a very difficult process, but, depending on the setup and cable clutter, it can really take some time, thus affecting the whole cinematographic experience.
For this reason, the BlueEcho Solutions company has developed a very interesting device called hd EZ lock, which will make sure that the HDMI cable will stay in place, no matter what. This is possible due to the fact that the device attaches to the component’s chassis using either the existing fixing screw on the chassis (usually located above the HDMI Input), or with the supplied VHB adhesive.
According to the manufacturer, the hd EZ lock has a low profile, easy to use two piece design, which has been specifically designed to be compatible with most HDMI cables found on the market, up to 7/16 inches high and 7/8 inches wide. Furthermore, it also accommodates various fixing screw distances up to 3/8 inches from the center of the HDMI input to the center of the fixing screw.
Now, if you were wondering why such a product is actually useful, you should know that repeated disconnections of the HDMI cable from the input can actually damage either the HDMI input or the cable’s connector, thus rendering them useless. For this reason, spending around 20 bucks on the hd EZ lock seems to be quite a good idea, especially taking into account the fact that the sales package includes all the accessories you’ll ever need in order to successfully connect the hd EZ lock to the HDMI interfaces.
Aug/090
The Truth About Monster Cable, Part 2 (Verdict: Cheap Cables Keep Up…Usually)
This time, we brought along a bag full of awesomely priced cables, mostly from Monoprice, that we were ready to run bandwidth tests on, side-by-side with Monster’s finest (and most damned expensive) cables.
What were our findings?
1) At short distances up to 6ft (2 meters), you can pretty much get away with any cable. Monoprice cables kicked ass at the 6 foot length that mostly everyone uses.
Not all cables are the same, however, and in truth, it’s the medium-priced cables that may be the real rip-off.
2) At longer distances, cheaper cable tends to choke up. A 720p signal will make it, but even today’s standard 1080p signal can fry out inside of a long cable that isn’t built as well. If you are trying to hook up a 1080p projector on your ceiling to a Blu-ray or HD DVD player, this is a concern.
The tests, which fired digital signal through the cable to synthesize high-definition video, can be divided into REAL-WORLD requirements (720p and 8-bit 60Hz 1080p) and FUTURE-WORLD requirements (12-bit 60Hz 1080p and even 12-bit 120Hz 1080p). Mind you, the future formats don’t exist now, so they should only be a concern when you are buying cables you intend to keep for five years, such as those you want to build into a wall.
To simulate high-def video, it sends signal down one of three paths within an HDMI cable, so its signal at any given time is ONE-THIRD the bandwidth of that video format. The list of bandwidth tests we ran is as follows:
REAL WORLD
• 720p 8-bit 60Hz = 742 Mbps (x3)
• 1080p 8-bit 60Hz = 1.65 Gbps (x3)
FUTURE WORLD
• 1080p 12-bit 120Hz = 4.455 Gbps (x3)
• 1440p 12-bit 120Hz = 8.24 Gbps (x3)
When the signal was sent out over the cable, its performance was measured on a Tektronix DSA8200 Digital Serial Analyzer. The argument goes like this: it may all be 1’s and 0’s, but what is being sent over that cable is electric current. When too much data is sent over a shabby cable, the device on the other end can’t tell what is a 1 and what is a 0. The end result is video that is either jittery, full of digital snow, or flat-out not there.
The Tektronix display shows two arcs, a high ridge that stands for the 1’s and a low ridge that stands for the 0’s. As bandwidth increases, you will see that the arcs get fuzzier, and at the failure point, there are too many 1’s that look like 0’s, and vice versa.
Bear in mind, in some cases, if the cable failed at one level, we didn’t go on to the next. Likewise, if we knew it passed the higher test, we might not go on to a lower test.
even the Monster 10-meter couldn’t pass the Future World 1080p test. The Monster folks said they didn’t have a 50-footer in the building that they could test with, but I suspect it would have done a little bit better than the Monoprice, possibly even carrying today’s 1080p. But we did not test that.
Judging from these results, I would have to reiterate my original position, that it’s best to skimp at short distances, but you don’t want to be caught with the wrong cable installed in your walls. Even with the projector, it might be smart to buy a $30 cable first and see if it works, but be prepared, when upgrading your gear, to upgrade the cable too. Does it have to be Monster? Hell no, but you might have to pay something close to a Monster-sized price.
The truth is, the bigger rip-off appears to be the $20 XtremeHD cable. It didn’t perform as well as stuff one-fifth the price. (No wonder they don’t sell a 10-meter cable.) I would say beware of mid-priced cable of dubious origin. Our dealings with Monoprice lead us to believe that at least they know what they’re selling, even at such a tremendous discount.
Stay tuned for HDMI Cable Battlemodo: The Truth About Monster, Part 3, where we try to match the laboratory results with basic, in-home testing. If the Digital Serial Analyzer said a cable fails, but it works just fine in my basement, maybe I’ll have to call BS. – Wilson Rothman