As multimedia content grows exponentially throughout the home, designers face mounting consumer demands for storing, massaging, and sharing this content. Lots of work has already been done in these areas and standards abound, but naturally more is in the pipeline.
For those whose vision is a central repository of digital content on a system such as a media server (see the HP MediaSmart Server shown on the cover), there’s a need to display that content on different kinds of devices and distribute it via wired or wireless networks. But another likely scenario is digital content scattered throughout the home. Users need to access that content from wherever it might reside, on whatever device the user happens to be watching or listening to at the time, whether it’s a PC, settop box, or handheld device.
Recent semiconductor advances related to high-definition content show true industry support for standards. They also give designers the means for building new and better consumer products within the frameworks of these standards.
Interface Insights As consumers quickly move to HDTV, standards such as High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) gain more prominence in the home. To give the standard some added teeth, STMicroelectronics recently announced the first HDMI switch, the STDVE003A (Fig. 1).
The switch supports a video data-transfer rate of up to 3.4 Gbits/s. At this speed, full 16-bit color depth—65k colors—is possible, delivering a true high-definition picture. LCD and plasma TV sets stand to benefit, since the switch provides multiple HDMI inputs for external program sources, such as game consoles, set-top boxes, and high-definition DVD players (both Blu-ray and HD-DVD). On top of all this, the switch contains an integrated equalizer that’s designed to overcome signal degradation when using lossy cables or cables greater than 20 meters.
The STDVE003A is an “active digital multiplexer” for high-performance TMDS (transition minimized differential signaling) data transfer. Since it’s configured as a 3:1 switch, TV designers can provide up to three input ports with just one HDMI receiver chip. An internal active block that receives and equalizes the input signal before transmitting it to the next stage maintains and enhances signal integrity.
The speedy data-transfer rate fully complies with the latest HDMI specification, version 1.3. As a contrast, other solutions typically limit color depth to 12 bits (4k colors) due to a lower data-rate capability, even when the original video source—for example, from Blu-ray and HD-DVD players—is 16 bits. A 16-bit source routed through the STDVE003A will result in a brighter, more vibrant 16-bit picture.
At $1.50 in quantities of 100,000, this switch is cost-competitive with similar products. In addition, its compatible package and pin-out make it easy to upgrade current solutions without changing the pc-board layout.
HDMI isn’t the only display standard vying for dominance in the digital home. DisplayPort, the digital display interface standard from the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), is also gaining momentum.
Earlier this year, AMD showcased the industry’s first graphics processor with a native DisplayPort interface. Also, Samsung Electronics unveiled a 30-in. LCD flat panel that features DisplayPort’s extremely high 10.8-Gbit/s bandwidth to display a full 2560-by-1600 resolution picture without the use of dual links.
More recently, IDT (Integrated Device Technology) announced that it will focus on developing interface and controller solutions for next-generation digital display devices. The company, which has a working silicon “proof-of-concept” DisplayPort device, is actively partnering with its display customers and companies that want to establish interoperability with the Display Port standard. It is on target to deliver DisplayPortcompatible devices during the first quarter of 2008.
According to Ji Park, VP and general manager of IDT’s Digital Display Operation, “DisplayPort has a number of advantages that make it a clear successor to analog VGA, the current Digital Visual Interface used on TVs and PCs, and the low-voltage differential signaling links used inside notebooks and monitors. Some in the industry also believe that it could serve as a replacement to the High-Definition Multimedia Interface. Regardless of how this all plays out, IDT will continue to support both standards as we believe this strategy will provide the biggest benefit to our customers in the long run.”
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