What Is an HDMI Cable Made Of?
By Joseph Eitel, eHow Contributor
Before we discuss what an HDMI cable is made of, it's important to have a firm understanding of what it is and what it does. HDMI stands for "High-Definition Multimedia Interface" and it was developed by a consortium of consumer electronics manufacturers who wanted to address what they believed to be a serious problem, which was the fact that existing analog video formats (like component video) are not easily copy-protected. Obviously, HDMI is digital, which means it provided a perfect platform for the implementation of copy-protection that enables content providers to limit and monitor consumer access to video content and their ability to copy it.
The Facts
HDMI is basically a digital version of RGB analog video; the main signal is carried on four shielded twisted pairs: one for red, one for blue and one for green. On a single cable, HDMI can support any TV or PC video format, including standard, enhanced and high-definition video. It can also support up to eight channels of digital audio and the Consumer Electronics Control signal. An HDMI cable is made of four shielded twisted pairs of wires that carry the color, sync and clock signals. These wires, which represent signals, are balanced in twisted pairs.
Function
HDMI delivers high-quality sound and vision without any quality loss due to the conversion or compression of a video or audio signal. HDMI pictures are always smoother and sharper and feature a very noticeable reduction in video noise. Most users also report sounds being more crisp and discernable and lacking in distortion. Single cable HDMI also gets rid of all those messy cables poking out from your home theatre.
Types
There aren't different types of HDMI cables, but rather, different versions. HDMI devices are manufactured to include different versions of specification, with each version given a number, such as 1.0, 1.2 or 1.3a. Each version of the specification uses the same kind of cable, but it increases the bandwidth and capabilities of what can be transmitted over the cable.
Features
HDMI has some incredibly smart features that enable users to control any device connected through HDMI with one remote. Because HDMI connection enables two-way communication between devices, it gives users universal remote-like functions. For example, the components in an HDMI-linked system can turn on with the press of a button when you want to watch a DVD.
Size
HDMI specification doesn't demand a maximum cable length, but there is a limit to how long HDMI cables can be made because of signal attenuation. Essentially, the length of an HDMI cable greatly depends on the construction quality and the materials being used. For exceptionally long cables, adaptive equalization can be utilized in order to compensate for the signal attenuation and interference caused because of the cable's length.
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