Chances are, you'll never actually see a STDVE003A unless you just so happen to crack open your HDTV, but
STMicroelectronics is hoping that you notice its presence without disassembling anything. The aforementioned chip is being hailed as the first HDMI switch on planet Earth to support a video data-transfer rate of up to 3.4Gbps, which enables TV designers to "provide as many as three input ports while using only a single HDMI receiver chip." Furthermore, it supports full 16-bit color, is compliant with HDMI 1.3 specifications and features an integrated equalizer to "overcome signal degradation when long (greater than 20-meters) and lossy cables are used." The active digital multiplexer also supports DDC (Display Data Channel) and HPD (Hot-Plug Detect) data switching, and while we're not told when these are likely to debut in actual sets, volume production is slated to start this quarter.
posted Nov 20th 2007 11:51AM
I really don't need more inputs on a TV or projector, they need to be on the receiver, in my opinion.
And three isn't enough. Say you have satellite and two game systems, that's all of them used up, then you'd have to go through the game systems to play HD movies. I'm thinking five inputs needs to be the standard. Three is already kind of feeling low end to me. I suppose maybe two of these things might be chained to make five inputs, basically using one 3 to 1 on the input on another 3 to 1 chip.
The problem, IMO, with HDMI is the notion that video should be run through an audio receiver. The forced-inclusion of video on an audio's physical layer is obnoxious.
While I'd like to benefit from TrueHD/DTShd lossless audio streams I do not think I should be forced to go through an HDMI physical layer AND forced to send my video through an unnecessary component to get to the display.
I'd much rather see a revision to S/PDIF to carry larger bandwidths for uncompressed high-definition audio and allow the consumers to send the high definition video straight to the display (or a dedicated video switch) and not rely on having to spend big dollars on AVRs with sufficient video bandwidth in order to skirt quality degradation.