Being recently gone to Dixonxs in Oxford you can see HDMI cables online or in stores labeled “120 Hz,” “240Hz” and “480 Hz”? It’s easy enough to slap such labels on HDMI cables but it’s a sham. HDMI cables can no more be manufactured for specific refresh-rate HDTVs than a garden hose can be manufactured specifically to water seeded lawns and sod lawns. The same water flows through either one. The same HDTV signal flows through all HDMI cables, whether labeled “120Hz” or “480Hz” — or not labeled at all. In fact, a TV’s refresh rate has nothing whatsoever to do with the signal flowing to that set. The refresh rate is determined by the set’s circuitry once the signal gets there, so how can different HDMI cables be manufactured for different refresh-rate sets? The manager at the store claimed the HDMI Cables paid for the store to be opened, they made no money on the televisions they required accessories. Clearly the intent of the refresh-rate labeling is simply to confuse you into spending more money on HDMI cable than you need to. TV retailers, including Best Buy, use this new misleading labeling to push naïve customers into buying unnecessary, overpriced cables that can cost far more than necessary.

Adding such labels — the latest being “3-D” — helps sales clerks persuade customers to overspend. The extra dollars spent will have no effect on image quality but they will lighten your wallet. To view Blu-ray, Full HD 3-D content and any other source at the highest (1080p) resolution, you need HDMI cables. It is a single-wire solution that conducts a standard definition or high definition 2-D or 3-D video image and accompanying audio tracks from a source device to an HDTV. Only two types of HDMI cables are included in the HDMI licensing spec: “Standard” (aka category 1) or “High Speed” (aka category 2). The latter is required to assure the cable passes 1080p signals (including 3-D), which is the highest bandwidth video signal available now and for the foreseeable future. HDMI cable makers mislead consumers by mislabeling their step-up quality HDMI cables with the various refresh rates used by set makers to improve picture quality. Despite the fact that some labels indicate signals of 480Hz, the signal fed by an HDMI cable to a set never exceeds 60Hz. HDMI Licensing LLC licenses the design, specifications and requires labeling of cables as either “Standard” or “High Speed.” HDMI does not have any rules concerning additional labels, according to its spokesman. While the HDMI standard has been updated to include new optional functionality such as passing Ethernet network signal, there remains only two speed categories. Any “High Speed” HDMI cable should handle any display and any video signal you can throw at it. HDGuru visited a number of local TV dealers. Best Buy had the widest selection, offering “High Speed” HDMI cables from Monster, AudioQuest, Rocketfish (BB house brand) and Dynex (BB house brand). They all display labels that tout their own capabilities. The least expensive is a Dynex 4-foot “High Speed” cable and costs $29.99. The box says 1080p 60Hz. The first step-up is the 4-foot Rocketfish at $49.99, and the package reads 120Hz.

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Sitting right next to your big computer, or your big screen HDTV, you’ll probably already find some ridiculously small gadget. After all, even our memory is getting smaller. And while there may already be options out there for you to purchase in the whole HD media player market, this new one from Amex Digital definitely aches to take the “smallest” title. Its measurements are noteworthy in of themselves, but the features speak for themselves, just as loudly.

The MP-501 measures in at a minimal 175- x 128- x 15mm, and if you were to hold it in your hand, you probably wouldn’t even noticed its negligible 250 gram weigh-in. You can connect the MP-501 to a USB-connected device, which can then stream a plethora of video formats. But, if you’re more interested in the HD side of things, then you’ll be excited to know that it can output up to 1080p HD, thanks to an HDMI cable.

There’s even a mini-USB port on the back-side. So if you’re watching all those HD videos, you’d want to make sure that your media player can handle it. The MP-501 has an ARM Cortex A8 processor tucked away inside, And thankfully, it can play pretty much any file format available, as long as you don’t have any of that pesky Digital Rights Management (DRM) going on. Price wise, you’ll be looking at only $49, so that’s not bad at all.

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This unique 4×4 HDMI Ethernet Matrix Router has user configurable outputs. Each of the outputs can be configured for either

• HDMI cable connection OR 2) CAT 5/ 6 Cable Connection. The Ethernet CAT 5/6 Matrix Switch is a complete HD routing solution for whole home HDTV systems.
• In addition, Infrared Extension allows I.R. signals to be sent from viewing area to the equipment room over CAT-5/6 Cables.
• Ethernet cables and connectors are easily field terminated thus allowing installers to easily install the proper length cable needed for ultimate flexibility and eliminate logistics problems of having custom length HDMI cables.

The 4×4 HDMI Matrix features 4 HDMI inputs, 4 HDMI Outputs, RS-232 control and fits in a 1RU rack mount housing for professional installations.
The 4×4 HDMI / Ethernet CAT5-6 Matrix Switch supports 1080P HD resolutions.
HDMI is the latest standard for distributing High Definition Digital Video and Audio in high def displays for 2 reasons:

• uncompressed digital format ensures the best picture quality and
• HDMI allows content providers to ensure that their intellectual property is protected through HDCP.

Onkyo have outed a trio of new A/V receivers, complete with THX certification and all 3D-capable.  The Onkyo TX-NR1008, TX-NR808, and TX-NR708 each have an ethernet port for internet and home network connectivity, including DLNA streaming, and they also support Dolby® Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX, the former offering extra height channels for improved ambience, the latter adding either height or width channels.

On the 7.2-channel TX-NR808 and TX-NR708 the extra channels replace the surround rear channels. Meanwhile, on the 9.2-channel TX-NR1008 they have dedicated extra ports.  There’s also multi-room audio, ranging from a single powered zone on the TX-NR708 all the way to simultaneous three-room audio (one of which can be 5.1 surround) on the TX-NR1008.

Pandora, Rhapsody, Audyssey MultEQ, iPod/iPhone-compliant USB ports and seven HDMI 1.4a ports round out the basic specs.  The Onkyo TX-NR708 and TX-NR808 will be available at the beginning of July with MRSPs of $899 and $1,099 respectively; the TX-NR1008 will ship at the end of July with an MRSP of $1,399.

Yamaha has announced a new line of AV receivers, Aventage, designed to put a greater focus on performance, with Yamaha claiming that the new models have been redesigned from the ground up. For those of you counting, Aventage is now the fourth separate line of Yamaha AV receivers, in addition to the existing RX-V, HTR, and NeoHD lines. Aventage consists of five new models–RX-A700 ($650 list), RX-A800 ($800), RX-A1000 ($1,100), RX-A2000 ($1,500), and the RX-A3000 ($1,900)–which will be released throughout August and September.

 
Yamaha’s low-end Aventage model, the RX-A700.

(Credit: Yamaha) In terms of features, the low-end RX-A700 doesn’t offer much that’s different from a standard midrange AV receiver, although its 27.56 pound weight hints at its beefier sonic capabilities. At the high-end, the RX-A3000 is loaded with features, including two HDMI outputs, eight HDMI inputs, built-in HD radio, networking capabilities, and HQV video processing. Yahama is fighting back to Onkyo domance in the market the units come with hdmi 1.4 technology allowing more punch for less.

Though there’s certainly a market for AV receivers with superior sound quality, we can’t help but be a little skeptical of some of the claims, such as, “the addition of a specially designed fifth foot to improve structural rigidity, reduce vibration, and improve sound.” On the other hand, the inclusion of the new HQV “Vida” video-processing chip in higher-end models is a good sign given our experience with HQV’s previous offerings, although with nearly all video sources using HDMI, video processing is less important than it used to be.

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The rumor mills are at it again and this time they are not focusing on devices that they think will topple the iPad but on the iPad itself. According to the latest tablet PC news, Apple is working on a second generation iPad which it hopes to introduce to the market during Q4 of 2010. The samsung Galaxy S has taken over consumers who are sick and tired of Apples Network Issue with the 4G. Slowly accross europe we see huge numbers showing that customers are moving away from Apple and to Samsung. This can see samsung leading the market few quickly. Our reports from Netherlands also inform us that Philips is looking for partners to share its technology in the OLED market. Consumers are none to me more smarter then the americas who dont know the difference between apple and oranges. Rumor also has it that the new gen iPad will have display sizes of 5.6 and 7 inches. Further, the reports also point towards Apple going in for OLED screen in place of LCD display that is on the current generation iPads.

OLED screens are considered far superior than LCD displays, in that OLED screens are more capable of displaying deeper black levels (since they do not require a backlight source). Also, contrast ratios are higher for OLED display while the screen refresh rates are faster, too. And that’s not all, for OLEDs are thinner and lighter in comparison to LCDs.

A smaller iPad will be surely welcomed by consumers. These will be even more affordable than the base iPad. In fact, there are reports that Apple already placed orders with component makers based in Taiwan to supply the screens in the two sizes for the new iPads. The leading developers of OLED screens in the world, like Samsung or LG, are hardpressed to meet their own demands with their mobile gadgets and an order from Apple would further strain their resources. LG already is finding it hard to meet the demand for the LED display of the current iPad and is resorting to setting up a second production line to ease demand rush.

There have been reports of many e-readers deciding to close operations due to intense competition. The iPad is also considered to be a major cause of worry for the e-reader industry, and has already brought doom to many. Just think what a smaller iPad

New boy on the street what will HDBaseT do?
Sony, Samsung and LG are throwing their weight behind a new AV cable standard that poses yet another threat to the future of HDMI.

HDBaseT carries HD video, audio, network traffic and (perhaps crucially) power over standard Cat 5e/6 Ethernet cable. Its backers are pushing it as an all-in-one connector for devices ranging from PCs to net-connected televisions, games consoles and mobile devices.

The HDBaseT Alliance claims the technology is capable of delivering full 1080p HD video – as well as 3D formats – over a distance of 100m. That alone could give it a crucial advantage over HDMI, which struggles to carry a signal further than 15m without the use of extenders.

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HDBaseT can also carry up to 100 watts of power, meaning it could be used to power peripherals.

The cable is capable of running at gigabit Ethernet speeds and uses the standard RJ-45 socket found on today’s PCs and laptops.

The first specification of HDBaseT has now been finalised, and it will start appearing in devices as soon as the second half of this year, although the Alliance modestly predicts that “the majority of adoption” won’t take place until next year.

By which time, another potential rival to HDMI – Intel’s Light Peak – may well have emerged. Intel’s optical interconnect technology offers an enormous increase in bandwidth over both HDMI and HDBasetT, starting off at 10Gbits/sec, although Intel is already demonstrating prototypes capable of 200Gbits/sec.

Intel’s technology also uses standard connectors, with the optical technology likely to be built into USB cables, although PCs and other USB devices will need a dedicated unit to convert the optical signal into electrical data

Atlona Technologies is manufactured by Cypress Technology Taiwan and they jointly have released new features for its HDAir USB-to-HDMI wireless converter, which allows any user with a computer to connect wirelessly to any HDTV or VGA monitor, including point-to-multipoint functionality and Macintosh compatibility.

The new HDAiR can output audio in both 3.5mm analog as well as embedded on the HDMI output, making it a viable solution for a much broader range of users. This latest update also enables users to connect up to four receivers to a single transmitter.

HDAiR still uses ultra-wideband frequencies to transmit AV signals and is capable of extending any computer wirelessly from the display at lengths up to 30ft with HDTV resolutions up to 720p or PC and VESA resolutions at 1440 x 1050. Both HDMI and VGA output connections are active at the same time, so the HDAiR receiver could be used to power up to two displays at the same time with identical content.

ATHEROS AND WILOCITY are working towards a wireless technology that will fuse together traditional WiFi and internal communication buses on a PC as a wireless extension of the PCIe bus.

The tri-band communications technology combines 802.11g/n and PCIe in a single device, that is, 2.4GHz, 5GHz and a very sensitive 60GHz band frequency to deliver your regular WiFi fix plus multi-gigabit data rates for devices both internal and external, over what the companies are calling the “Dockingzone”, an external device that acts as an extension of your PC’s PCIe bus with all the perks of PCIe.

The crack team of former Intel employees at Wilocity developed the 60GHz wPCIe standard called WiGig a while back and this type of technology is already used by several vendors for streaming content over, say, wireless HDMI. Atheros will handle the implementation and hopefully the marketing as they have a strong foothold in the laptop business.

60GHz is a sensitive band to be playing on, and the final product is expected to deliver PCIe x1 equivalent bandwidth for peripherals, although in theory it could go twice as high, bridged by the wireless PCIe. Enough for most tasks, the companies pointed out – wireless vídeo, USB, SATA – but definitely a major plus if they can keep the power use in check and bung it in laptops.

Unfortunately neither company has set a date for this technology to reach the market, but the PCIe-superset nature of the wireless technology

I guess it’s better late than never for Club3D. The company has announced that it is now offering the GTC 465 video card from NVIDIA. The GTX 465 started turning up back in May. The Club3D card has all the features that we know from other branded GTX 465 cards. It is 3D Vision ready and supports CUDA among other things.

The GPU runs at 607MHz and the card has 352 stream processors. The shader clock runs at 1215MHz and the card supports 3-way SLI. 1024MB of graphics memory are featured and that RAM is GDDR5 running at 3206MHz.

The card uses traditional air cooling and supports DirectX 11. Like all other GTX 465 cards it is a dual slot card and uses the PCI-E 2.0 interface. The Club3D version has a mini HDMI output and is HDCP ready.