Will UDI over take HDMI?
By Matt Burns 
posted Aug 14th 2006 9:54AM
posted Aug 14th 2006 9:54AM
Do you remember UDI - or, Universal Display Interface. It's an alternative to HDMI geared towards the video card/computer monitor industry that does the same thing, including all of HDCP, as HDMI but it doesn't cost nearly as much. When a manufacturer sticks an HDMI port on their device, it costs them $10,000 in licensing fees and that was just lowered from $15,000. A good chunk of that changes goes to pay for the HDCP licensing, With UDI, a manufacturer doesn't have to pay for HDCP, but yet it can still do the same thing. Plus, UDI is capable with HDMI's connector and is capable of the same bandwidth. Will we see UDI in the mainstream anytime soon though? It's hard to say but we doubt it. HDMI is already making head-ways into the monitors and video cards industry. Once these companies invest into a certain standard, it can be hard to get them to look at anything else.
No I do not think so.
HDMI is optimised for HD 1080p and 7.1 surround sound, while UDI is for monitors with higher resolution (4k and higher) and UDI does not tranport audio.
What does this mean exactly: With UDI, a manufacturer doesn't have to pay for HDCP, but yet it can still do the same thing.
Does it circumvent HDCP? How does it do that and wouldnt there legal issues around that? Or, the manufacteur has the option of purchasing the UDI license without the HDCP license? Arent there non-HDCP HDMI connectors anyways?
Also, UDI doesnt do audio; so that means no next gen audio formats for you. This seems more like a next-gen DVI for computer use.