AfterDawn: News

HDMI product labels get remade

HDMI Licensing has announced today that they will be remaking HDMI product labels, in an effort to curb confusion for the different models of cables and products.

By updating the HDMI Adopted Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines, HDMI Licensing has separated all HDMI cable products into five specific types:



-Standard HDMI cable
-Standard HDMI cable with Ethernet
-Standard automotive HDMI cable
-High-speed HDMI cable
-High-speed HDMI cable with Ethernet

Additionally, says the guideline update (available here):

Adopters may no longer use HDMI version numbers in the labeling, packaging, or promotion of any cable product. This is effective immediately for any references to the HDMI Specification Version 1.4, and Adopters have a one-year grace period for removing references to earlier versions of the HDMI specification when describing their cables.

Effective as of January 1, 2012, all non-cable products cannot make any reference to HDMI version numbers. Until that time Adopters can use HDMI version numbers only when the feature or features associated with that HDMI version number is clearly specified. For instance, a manufacturer can describe a product as featuring "HDMI® v.1.4 with Audio Return Channel and HDMI Ethernet Channel," but may not describe a product as being "HDMI® v.1.4 compliant."



Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 Nov 2009 13:30

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• 7 comments

• neronut

  I don't get this move? Whats wrong with versions numbers? Are they trying to hide something? It seems that maybe this is so they dupe customers into buying something based on flaky marketing statements rather an telling them the exact specifics. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

  20.11.2009 15:55 #1

• dziglar

  I understand this as saying that if the specifications of the cable are spelled out, i.e. "High Speed, Standard, High Speed with Ethernet, etc.", rather than just having a version number, it will be easier for consumers to understand the capabilities of the cables without having to reference another source as to what the numbers mean. Someone please correct me if I am mistaken.

  20.11.2009 17:11 #2

• ZippyDSM

  Oooooooook so whats version 1.3? standard now?
  I hope my crappy 15$ 25 foot HDMI 1.3 cable will be good enough....

  20.11.2009 19:41 #3

• blueboy09

  From my understanding of it all it helped not only the consumers but the store's employees when it comes to inventory/stocking on shelves. People relate better to desciption than just a bumch of numbers. Doesn't matter since its still going to confuse the hell out of the average Joe or Susie anyway . . . - BLUEBOY

  20.11.2009 20:42 #4

• abms

  hdmi cables are actually pretty funny. like MONSTER takes their 2.23mb/s cable and to comply with the hdmi 1.4 now all of a sudden it is 10.2 mb/s. total marketing bs. it even says on the package that the standard cable only supports 60hz even though 120hz and 240hz is all post processing. total bulls***. but people fall for it. i'm surprised no one has sued them yet for false advertising. i wunder if you could on those means?

  21.11.2009 02:37 #5

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by abms: hdmi cables are actually pretty funny. like MONSTER takes their 2.23mb/s cable and to comply with the hdmi 1.4 now all of a sudden it is 10.2 mb/s. total marketing bs. it even says on the package that the standard cable only supports 60hz even though 120hz and 240hz is all post processing. total bulls***. but people fall for it. i'm surprised no one has sued them yet for false advertising. i wunder if you could on those means?I think that would become standard not highspeed IE 1.4.....

  21.11.2009 09:51 #6

• HDMICable

  The problem with version numbers has been that there can be HDMI features that are not supported by a particular maker under that version, so consistency between the same version across various makers was not there. The new regime of specifying the supported features will make life a lot easier for the consumer and will hopefully clean up the industry by making it harder to use a "smoke and mirrors" marketing approach. At HDMI Systemswe have just implimented the new standards and I think that it has made the customers decision process much easier.

  29.11.2009 01:09 #7