HDMI Licensing Authority releases new guidelines

The HDMI Licensing Authority has released Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines providing a consistent way for manufacturers to describe the HDMI-enabled functionality of their products.

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a connection standard for HDTV and consumer electronic devices. It is the only digital interface which combines uncompressed high-definition video, multi-channel audio and intelligent format and command data.

The HDMI version number includes optional features which manufacturers can include on their products. Under the new guidelines, manufacturers must list what functionality is available on a particular product’s HDMI.

The guidelines also set out the minimum functionality that the device must deliver to the user, in order to ensure that a consistent standard is delivered to consumers.

For example if a display device is described as supporting Deep Color, it must be capable of accepting a Deep Color signal (i.e., >8-bit colour depth), processing the signal so that the resulting stream is greater than 8-bit colour depth when it is delivered to the display, and having a display that renders colour bit depth of greater than 8 bits per colour.

This will also help manufacturers, retailers and installers to more accurately convey to consumers the HDMI-enabled features provided by their device.