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.”