Product Brief
ADI to upstage Silicon Image with new HDMI 1.4 IC
Junko Yoshida9/29/2009 9:26 AM EDT
Most likely, those are powered by Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI)'s new HDMI 1.4 transceiver IC, rather than those by Silicon Image, Inc., a leader in HDMI innovation.
ADI claims to be the first in the industry to start sampling HDMI 1.4 transceiver chip Tuesday (Sept. 29th). The move is a coup for ADI, at a time when Silicon Image, ADI's biggest competitor in this market, appears to be fumbling with its own HDMI 1.4 chip. Silicon Image announced the chip in June but a broader sampling is not in sight.
When asked about the new HDMI 1.4 chip, Waheed Rasheed, director of marketing at Silicon Image stressed, "Sampling started in the second half of 2009." But he added, "Products incorporating HDMI Specification Version 1.4 features are expected to reach retail stores in the first quarter of 2010."
Meanwhile, ADI noted that its HDMI 1.4 chips are in the hands of lead customers. Doug Bartow, strategic marketing manager of ADI's advanced television segment, said, "Definitely, there will be retail products incorporating our HDMI 1.4 chips this Christmas."
ADI's new HDMI 1.4 transceiver chip, ADV7623, supports both audio return channel and 3D display, but not Ethernet over HDMI. In contrast, Silicon Image plans to support all three in its upcoming HDMI 1.4 product family.
But considering customers' growing demand for a new audio return channel feature embedded in HDMI 1.4 chips, ADI decided it would be better to fill orders in time for Christmas, rather than delay while cramming every capability into the first product. Bartow said, "Truth to be told, we had already begun developing the first HDMI 1.4 chips -- due to the strong demand by our customers -- even before the HDMI 1.4 spec was completed."
ADI is also pitching ADV7623 as the industry's first single-chip HDMI 1.4 transceiver.
Competitors' solutions often come in separate chips -- a receiver, a transmitter and a port processor to support fast switching -- in addition to memory and passives to complete HDMI 1.4 solution. ADI's Bartow claimed, "With our transceiver chip, all you need is one chip. It translates into at least $2 to $3 cost savings for OEMs."
ADI has also added to ADV7623 a fast switching technology, called Xpressview.
It allows fast, automatic switching between HDMI-enabled AV devices. ADI claims that it offers switching in "less than a second," since the new chip is designed to handle, upfront, verification and authorization of connected HDMI-enabled AV devices, and keep those devices in a standby mode.
Comments
mstockfisch
9/29/2009 3:35 PM EDT
Actually, HDMI 1.3 is silent with respect to 3D. HDMI v1.4 has optional 3D support for 1080p24, 720p50, or 720p60 per eye at a pixel rate of 148.5MHz.
Early HDMI silicon only supported 2D at 74.25MHz. With the advent of Blu-ray players, some silicon was upgraded (circa 2004 for Blu-ray players and perhaps late 2007 for set-top-boxes) to support 2D 1080p50 & 1080p60 at 148.5MHz. The HDMI v1.4 standard reallocates the 148.5MHz bandwidth (normally used to achieve 2D 1080p50 & 1080p60 on legacy Blu-ray players) to supporting 3D at 1080p24, 720p50, or 720p60 per eye. To get 3D 1080p50 & 1080p60 per eye, new silicon (not yet on the market) is required to obtain the necessary 297MHz bandwidth (which also happens to be the bandwidth required to support 2D 2160p24, 2160p25, or 2160p30 4K video). HDMI v1.4 does not currently specify 3D video at the 1080p50 & 1080p60, because it still refers to the old D revision of CEA-861, which does not include 297MHz timings.
Sign in to Reply
jyoshida
9/29/2009 3:53 PM EDT
mstockfisch, thanks for the clarification. My understanding of HDMI 1.4 spec -- in order to enable 3D video -- is that the digital interface needs to support 220MHz bandwidth per eye (for 1080P), hence for both eyes, it demands 450MHz. Am I wrong about this?
Sign in to Reply
mstockfisch
9/29/2009 4:53 PM EDT
I was referring only to pixel rate. You are referring to TMDS-character rate, which indeed is faster - but only when introducing deep color (e.g. 148.5MHz * 12bitsPerComponent/8bitsPerComponent = 222.75MHz). So if you want 3D AND deep color AND 1080p60 in each eye, then you'll indeed need a 445.5MHz TMDS-character rate.
One more thing...
Further research indicates the 148.5MHz silicon upgrade came circa 2007. The first HDMI 74.25MHz parts came out in 2004.
The the text above "(circa 2004 for Blu-ray players and perhaps late 2007 for set-top-boxes)" should read "(circa 2007)".
Sign in to Reply
Clipper
9/29/2009 7:39 PM EDT
Just like 1080p/60f has appeared to become the "de facto" standard now for HD display interfaces eventhough it isn't a broadcast TV standard, 1080p/60f for 3D has the potential to become one too. Althoug Blu-ray movies currently can have a max resolution of 1080p/24f at 24-bit color, the marketplace constantly calls for 1080p/60f eventhough there is very little content (video games only) available there. Several display makers at the CEDIA Conf. were showing 3D demos and were telling everyone that 1080p/60f was going to be what consumers would be looking for in a 3D display. Guess these is good since it keeps the HDMI interface makers busy designing new, higher bandwidth chips.
Sign in to Reply
geryhostone
6/23/2010 2:06 AM EDT
Its a very nice topic about this artilce ADI to upstage Silicon Image with new HDMI 1.4 IC,i read this article and gain more information from this artilce.So Thanks to talking us about this artilce.I am agree with this artilce.
cho yung tea
Sign in to Reply