HDMI Cables Are Not Created Equal, Licensing Exec Says

HDMI isn't the easiest or most straightforward technology. Steve Venuti, vice president of marketing at HDMI Licensing, knows that.

"Yes, I know. There is confusion," he says.

Two years ago, installers made it clear that HDMI was not the easiest thing to work with, says Venuti. But improved interoperability, increased manufacturer and dealer grasp and testing for HDCP compliance have changed that.

"We don't really hear [those complaints] anymore," he says.

As the problems that arose from the cabling technology's introduction have mostly been sorted out, it's time for custom installers to go digital, Venuti says.

"Sooner or later, you won't get the high-res stuff over component," he says. Component doesn't have support bi-directional feedback, he argues, although he admits that video quality is comporable. "It's pretty close -- no argument there."

Venuti recognizes some of the challenges supporters of component cabling point out with HDMI, such as distance and distribution. "We're asking it to do a lot," he says. "It's a limit of the fact the sizes are getting so big."

HDMI-compliant distributors and extenders are coming out, but they're still relatively new. The HDMI spec doesn't say anything about distance -- just that it needs to perform at a certain quality level at the signal's end.

"We can't guarantee [a 30m length] from a compliance side," he says.

Certain HDMI products can make such claims, however, like Monster's speed-rated cables introduced at CEDIA.

"Any cable will work just as well as another" at minimum compliance, Venuti says. But some cables will outperform others -- that's why Monster is doing their speed rated cables.

"We do not believe that all cables are created equal," he says. "Confusion should not be around they're all the same and it doesn't matter" which cable you use.

"Even at minimum compliance, we're note testing those for durability. We're not measuring for abuse," he says.

HDMI compliant means that in a lab environment, the cable performed at a level that meets compliance. "But above that, you may want a cable that will perform better," says Venuti.

Future proofing, a feature Monster touts in their speed rated cables, is important, he says. "1440p is what we'll see in the future," with HDMI 1.3 products proliferating in the next year.

He also expects HDCP to become increasingly flexible, with the possibility of change in usage. "If market pressure comes on the studios where HDCP is not flexible enough, they will bow," he says, perhaps adopting an iPod/iTunes-like model where only certain users are allowed access to play the content.

HDMI would have entered the market easier without HDCP, but the studios wouldn't have let it happen. "It's a situation not everyone is happy with," he says. "But the reality is, they own the content."

Venuti says that HDMI may emerge in other markets, including mobile channels and possibly IT in applications like HD video conferencing.