Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 13:48:16 -0500 From: Gary Corcoran <gcorcoran@rcn.com> To: Julian Stacey <jhs@berklix.org> Cc: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: HDMI cards ? Message-ID: <455CB270.2070908@rcn.com> In-Reply-To: <200611161521.kAGFLc4p094347@fire.jhs.private> References: <200611161521.kAGFLc4p094347@fire.jhs.private>
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Julian Stacey wrote: > FreeBSD Hardware people, > I'm about to buy a big TV, (for TV not as console). For FreeBSD+Xorg > linkage I presume DVI is the interface needed, & DVI-I not DVI-D ? > & HDMI to be avoided ? I don't know if FreeBSD & X even drives cards > for HDMI ? > > To future proof: If a DVI or HDMI card later dies & need replacing, > Question of what'll then be popular: I suppose DVI will migrate > to normal PC main boards later, not HDMI. (HDMI has inbuilt HDCP, > (whereas DVI has HDCP only if TV also has "HD Ready" as mine will > have), so perhaps 1 more reason DVI will win & HDMI may die, to > avoid Hollywood crippling ?) > > PS Acronym & resolution notes here http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/txt/tv.html Essentially all new big screen (Hi-Def) TVs come with an HDMI connector. Some also include a DVI connector as well. HDMI is digital video, plus audio, in one cable. DVI carries video only. However DVI (digital) video and HDMI video are compatible - you only need a cable with the right connectors on it to convert from one to the other. Unfortunately they tend to charge outrageous prices for such cables though (at least for now). You are correct that everything with an HDMI connector includes the capability for HDCP. However most PC video cards with a DVI connector do NOT yet include HDCP. It costs a few cents more for the HDCP license and to include a unique ID number chip on the card, so most manufacturers haven't done it yet. However with the requirement of HDCP for Blu-Ray disc playback on a PC, more video cards will be getting HDCP capability added on. Of course you'll need either a PC video monitor with HDCP capability (some already exist) or a TV with HDMI/DVI which has HDCP. However if the "user" of the video card (e.g. something *other* than Blu-Ray/HD playback software) doesn't (require) turn on of HDCP then you can connect any video monitor/TV. So unless you plan on using Windows to do software Blu-Ray (or someday HD DVD) playback, HDCP capability on your video card doesn't matter to you. However having HDCP _capability_ won't "hurt" anything - it just won't get turned on by FreeBSD software (e.g. X Windows). Or, looking at it the other way around, if this is your concern: you should, with the right cable, be able to connect an existing (non-HDCP) DVI video card to your shiny new TV's HDMI connector and it will work, as it will just send unencrypted digital video over the connection to the TV, since the HDCP handshake will never take place, as the video card doesn't request it. At least that's my understanding - I haven't bitten the bullet and gotten a new TV - yet, though I try to keep up with things and I'm interested in buying. Because HDMI includes audio, I don't see HDMI connectors showing up on video cards, because of the variety of audio solutions (e.g. plug-in card, built-in). However it is possible that a motherboard which has video + audio built-in could support an HDMI connector. But since that would be the exception, and thus PC video monitors will probably still use DVI, I would think that all PC video connectors will remain DVI, to be compatible with the monitors. Until, of course, we *all* start getting monitors so big (in resolution) that DVI can't handle the bandwidth... ;-) Does this answer your questions/concerns? Gary
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