HDMI connections
 

I'm looking at buy the Samsung UE32H6400 Smart 3D 32" LED TV.

On the Back are 4 hdmi ports

1 has STB,

1 has ARC

1 is blank

1 has DVI

I've worked out the V+ box goes to STB, a pc to DVI, can I plug an Xbox One into ARC, and a Xbox 360 into the blank, or should I use something else?

Re: HDMI connections
 

do you have a HDMI amp?

Re: HDMI connections
 

Yes you can, but it doesn't really matter.

Re: HDMI connections
 

I use my amp as a switch everything goes to my amp and I out to ARC . Works a treat that is why I asked about the amp

Re: HDMI connections
 

I don't have an amp, I'm just looking at upgrading my TV from a 22" to a 32" (size restrictions due to space) and I have 3 HDMI devices, and one with Component.

I guess the HDMI DVI port is video only?

Re: HDMI connections
 

ARC is audio return channel or something, just a port with an extra feature of being able to send sounds out from the TV to something like an av receiver/amp. Just gives you the extra feature if you have something like that connected, otherwise it just works as a normal hdmi port.

So plug the xbox's in to whichever port you want :)

---------- Post added at 13:36 ---------- Previous post was at 13:34 ----------

I'm 80% sure on my samsung tv I have got sound through that port before but wont be able to check for sure until I get home later. It will probably depend on your pc's graphics card and internal connections as to if it will work.

Re: HDMI connections
 

The "HDMI (DVI)" port is the only HDMI port that works with a DVI>HDMI connection, but that does not mean it does not still work with a normal HDMI>HDMI connection. There's no audio if the other end is DVI, but that doesn't mean you can't use it with something else with audio with HDMI at the other end.

If it was video only, and aimed solely at connecting the DVI output from a PC, they'd just stick an actual DVI port on there instead.


Manuals:

http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/co...0507141738434/[UH6400-XU]BN68-05815A-02ENG-0401.pdf

http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/co...0314133917415/[ENG]X14DVBEUH-1.104-0312.pdf

Re: HDMI connections
 

I have this memory of a GFX card that did send audio via DVI it shipped with a DVI to HDMI socket and my memory swears it carried audio

---------- Post added at 13:55 ---------- Previous post was at 13:50 ----------

this clearly shows HDMI audio support is supplied to the DVI

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...tem&px=MTQ4MDE

---------- Post added at 13:56 ---------- Previous post was at 13:55 ----------

and here is an adapter for the job http://www.club-3d.com/index.php/pro...5k-series.html

it also shows AMD had support for it as far back as the 3000 series cards

Re: HDMI connections
 

All HDMI ports include sound.

DVI can also be hacked to include/support sound.

Re: HDMI connections
 

Ok all installed, but some of the HD channels have no sound, any ideas?

Re: HDMI connections
 

Go to audio settings on tivo and turn off dolby

Re: HDMI connections
 

Its a V+ but ill have a look

---------- Post added at 00:56 ---------- Previous post was at 00:51 ----------

Cheers I turned off HDMI audio override off and it appears to have worked

Re: HDMI connections
 

Well I plugged my Xbox 360 into the HDMI (DVI) port and sound comes out, which means I don't have to plug in the splitter when I get the 3D Blu-Ray player.

Re: HDMI connections
 

Ok regarding the 3D Blu-Ray player, would a standard HDMI cable work or do I need a high-speed cable / high-speed with Ethernet?

I ask because the website says "A 3D-capable HDMI cable"

Re: HDMI connections
 

HDMI V1.4 For 3d and ethernet upto 100megs.

Re: HDMI connections
 

You need High Speed for 1080p, 3D, and 4K. You need High Speed with Ethernet if you also need Ethernet.


Standard HDMI cables are only certified to handle 720p and 1080i.


Many manufacturers and retailers mistakenly market High Speed cables as being "v1.4" (and previously as "v1.3"), but the version is actually meant for the interface not the cable. A so-called v1.3 cable would be just as good for 3D as a so-called v1.4 cable, as both would likely actually just be High Speed cables (and the actual bandwidth for v1.4 is the same as for v1.3).

---------- Post added at 13:33 ---------- Previous post was at 13:24 ----------

See these links:

http://www.hdmi.org/consumer/buying_guide.aspx

http://www.hdmi.org/consumer/finding_right_cable.aspx

http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/faq.aspx

Re: HDMI connections
 

All HDMI cables including those made to the original 1.0 spec support 1080p and above. Hell, all HDMI cables support 1080p at 60hz or dual-1080p/3D.

There are no HDMI cables whatsoever that are only able to "handle" 720p and 1080i, except faulty ones.

Ignore all the marketing buzz and propaganda purely designed to make you waste money...

Re: HDMI connections
 

For the price difference it is worth paying the extra quid or two for a 1.4a/b or 2.0 HDMI cable as it gives you scope to upgrade your equipment in the future without upgrading your cables.

1.4a has ARC/Audio Return Channel which allows digital sound to be sent through the HDMI cable rather than a separate optical cable, which is handy if you add an AV receiver to your setup. 1.4a is also good enough to handle the new UltraHD/4k tv's that are just coming out, although only at up to 30 frames per second which is ok for films but not broadcast tv or 4k gaming consoles but they are some way off still. You would need HDMI 2 cables to support those.

Some of the older HDMI also don't support CEC which many products now support under various names. It's what allows your tv remote to also control your dvd/blueray player and other devices that support it. For LG it's called Simplink, Sony call it Bravia Link Control, Samsung call it AnyNet+ etc. I can use my tv remote to control my Onkyo and XBMC on the Pi and it was handy until I got the Harmony remote.

I recently got these 2.0 cables in a few lengths (seems i'm always adding more HDMI devices around the house!) and not only do they look good they also have a decent build quality. Future proof too.

Re: HDMI connections
 

Standard cables may well be support 1080p etc., but they have not been tested and certified to do so.

But you don't need to waste money to buy High Speed cables - you can buy High Speed cables, with or without Ethernet, for just a few quid on Amazon. Buying High Speed cables does not require unnecessarily spending stupid amounts of money on Monster or Sandstrom cables.




The version is the interface version, not the cable version.

Cables are Standard, with or without Ethernet, and High Speed, with or without Ethernet.

Any co-called "1.3" cable would quite happily work with 3D and 4K just as well as a so-called "1.4" cable as they would both actually just be High Speed cables.

Re: HDMI connections
 

With some of my HDMI cables CEC would not work between some devices until I replaced them with newer ones, so assumed it was the same for ARC which was supported from V1.4. It makes sense for the interface to be the one that supports it like you say, but experience of the actual cables has shown that not all cables are the same. Pretty sure the ARC is a dedicated wire on the cable too, which only got introduced later in the spec.

As for the higher bandwidth of HDMI v2, is that all done at the interface too or do you need a certain quality of cable to ensure it works? It's entirely possible for a cheap cable to have problems with 1080p while not having problems with 1080i although I am not sure of the reason for this. 4k tv would need at least 4 times the bandwidth of a normal stream and I guess it would depend on the quality of materials used in the cable as to if it would struggle or not?

I'm not one for buying expensive HDMI cables as digital signal is the same from end to end so buying a £20+ cable is pointless. The really cheaply made ones can have problems with the signal but it's more likely to have a fault along the cable as it gets moved or have problems with the connection plug as it ages.

I assumed the ones sold as HDMI v1.4 or 2 have been tested or certified to work at that speed, compared to another one that is sold as v1.1. Going by what you have said there is nothing stopping someone who has been selling a HDMI 1.1 for donkeys years could change the description of it to be a HDMI 2 cable.

Re: HDMI connections
 

ARC is a feature introduced with interface v1.4.

You do not need an "HDMI cable with ARC", for example - you need the devices at each end to have ARC.

From HDMI.org itself:

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/arc.aspx

http://www.hdmi.org/consumer/finding_right_cable.aspx

As before, the official specification says that there are two main types of cable - Standard and High Speed - and each of those can be found with or without Ethernet.

Standard cables are certified for 720p and 1080i, High Speed cables are certified for 1080p, 3D, 4K, etc.

Yes, as qasdfdsaq pointed out that does not necessarily mean that only High Speed cables can "handle" 1080p, but as I said in my original post it is what each type is certified to "handle".

Some Standard cables may well be able to do 1080p etc., but they were not tested and certified to do so, while there will other Standard cables that could be of sufficiently poor quality that they really can only do 1080i and not 1080p (as with where you say some cheap cables may have problems with 1080p but not 1080i).

So, I would always go for High Speed, to make sure.


As for bandwidth...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_comparison

The max. bandwidth of interface v1.3 and v1.4 is the same (10.2Gbps), even though v1.4 adds additional 3D support, 4K@30, etc.

Interface v2.0, which adds 4K@50/60 etc., has a higher max. bandwidth of 18Gbps... yet *still* works with High Speed cables.

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_2_0/

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdm...i_2_0_faq.aspx

Re: HDMI connections
 

Some good info there :tu:

Had a further look at the CEC issue, which I know for a fact doesn't work on certain cables, and came across the image on this page: http://www.hdmi.org/installers/insidehdmicable.aspx

So my guess is some cheaper or older cables simply don't bother having the CEC part of the cable either save money or the HDMI spec back did not require it. If it was a spare pin on the connector until CEC came along, then I can see why they thought it was pointless to add that strand. It does show that HDMI cables can be different though.

Re: HDMI connections
 

I plugged on a Cable which I believe has Ethernet, and not only does it play 3D, but when I turn off the TV it also turns off the 3D Blu-Ray as well.

Now to buy a few 3D films :D

2 more tiltes to hit 830 DVD/Blu-Ray titles.

Re: HDMI connections
 

Glad to hear it. The CEC I was talking about is usually what turns off the other connected equipment :)

Re: HDMI connections
 

Cheers :)

Interesting. It is strange that it wouldn't work with some cables.


You need Gravity on 3D BD if you don't already have it. The best use of 3D I've seen (and I generally hate 3D films).

Pacific Rim and Prometheus also look great in 3D, and DREDD actually uses it quite well.

I was tempted by Avatar on 3D BD, but you can only buy the theatrical cut in 3D, which IMO is not as good as the extended one.

I still tend to buy 2D BDs most of the time, as I feel that most 3D versions of films are pointless cash-ins (e.g. with the recent cinema release of X-Men: Days of Future Past the 3D is *utterly pointless*).

Re: HDMI connections
 

I have Gravity, Pacific Rim & Prometheus on Blu-Ray, but not 3D, but i will favour 3D films from now.

Re: HDMI connections
 

I wouldn't bother with 3D for everything - it really is a waste of time on many films, IMO.

But on some, it's stunning. If you don't mind "double dipping", I'd recommend re-buying Gravity on 3D BD, and perhaps also Pacific Rim.

I actually watched Pacific Rim on 3D BD this afternoon - bloody awesome!

Re: HDMI connections
 

Er, yes they have. If they don't support 1080p then they are not a HDMI cable.

Paying a few quid more for something that does nothing more is the definition of wasting money.

---------- Post added at 02:22 ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 ----------

Except that it's wrong. :rolleyes:

CEC was introduced in HDMI 1.0 and mandatory in all cables, so there was never a time "before CEC came along". Though before it became popular it's quite possible cheap manufacturers copped out and skimped on the wiring. Same as 8 conductors are mandatory on a UTP ethernet cable but until gigabit became popular lots of cheap manufacturers made cables with just 4 conductors.

---------- Post added at 02:26 ---------- Previous post was at 02:22 ----------

Most marketing claims relating to HDMI are bogus anyhow.
See http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articl...dmi-cables.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_comparison

Cables are basically certified to a given bandwidth (75Mhz, 165Mhz, 340Mhz) much the same as the Ethernet cable categories. And just like the ethernet cable categories the certification is purely about raw bandwidth and doesn't care what protocol or data rate you put over the cable, and just like the Ethernet ratings the categories while widely misinterpreted to mean certain "modes" don't actually and aren't supposed to fit in with any mode.

Re: HDMI connections
 

What's wrong about it?

It comes straight from the HDMI website.

It's the official word on how cables are classified.

Standard cables are only tested and certified for the bandwidth necessary for 720p and 1080i. They are *still* HDMI cables, and yet they have not been certified for the higher bandwidth needed for the higher resolutions.

High Speed cables are tested and certified for the bandwidth necessary for 1080p and beyond.

The links you give in your post give the same information, with your second link (Wikipedia) using HDMI.org itself as a source.

Re: HDMI connections
 

No. The HDMI website clearly says standard and high speed cables are bandwidth certified to 75 and 340Mhz and nothing certified for any resolutions or frame rates.

The bandwidth to which standard speed cables are tested and certified is completely sufficient for 1080p if you actually read the specifications. All HDMI cables that pass any certification (standard or otherwise) have sufficient bandwidth for virtually all 1080p content.

Because, funny enough, the 720p "certification" is for 720p60 and the 1080i "certification" for 1080i60. Both of which have exactly the same bandwidth requirements as 1080p30. Which virtually all 1080p content currently available comes under. There is no "bandwidth necessary for 1080p and beyond", 1080p30 does not require more bandwidth than 1080i60 or 720p60.

It seems that you, too, have fallen for the marketing shenanigans rather than facts, read more deeply in to their page and you see:

Now they say "the equivalent of a 720p/1080i signal" but deliberately neglect to mention that a 1080p30 signal is... exactly the same. The interesting part here is not what they say but what they don't say. Note very carefully that they don't say Standard cables can only handle 720p/1080i. Nor do they say the cables are certified for "720p/1080i". This omission is very telling.

Also note carefully that they never say a "high speed" cable is required or certified for 1080p but rather say it can handle 1080p "at increased color depths and/or increased refresh rates". Not that it is needed to handle a 1080p signal at all.

It is worded very carefully to give the impression that a high speed cable is required for 1080p by tactfully leaving out the fact that the vast majority of 1080p content has the exact same bandwidth requirements as the "equivalent to 720p/1080i" they are referring to, and fits perfectly fine in the standard cable certification requirements.

Re: HDMI connections
 

Some cable providers in other countries (Canada for instance) do supply a 1080p at 60fps feed, at least for their sports channel. Wonder if that will ever happen over here?

Re: HDMI connections
 

Yes, there are a few sources that have true 1080p60. But it is rare. You could argue a standard cable couldn't handle 720p at 120fps either. Or 1080i 3D. Both of which theoretically exist, but are just as rare.

Will it happen here? I hope so, but given the general public seem to be turned off by HFR movies "looking too much like TV", it doesn't look like HFR will ever take off aside from perhaps on sports. 48-60fps on movies just "feels wrong" and perhaps its to do with increased perceptual load or something but it just doesn't seem to work that well on movies and instead messes up people's brains.

TBH the broadcast (cable/satellite) examples I've seen are pretty crappy, as they usually encode it with the same bitrate as 1080p30 content in order to shove it down the same channel bandwidth. Yuck.

Re: HDMI connections
 

Having checked, the 60fps cable provider I was thinking of only does 720p60. My bad.