HDMI 1.4 becomes HDMI 1.4a

Just about got your head around the idea of HDMI 1.4? No, nor us – but just to keep us on our toes the HDMI Licensing people have now announced a development of the specification, meaning that HDMI 1.4 is now HDMI 1.4a.

The new version takes into account various new mandatory formats for broadcast 3D, Side-by-Side Horizontal and Top-and Bottom, which cover the ways in which the two images required for 3D are displayed.

So the full specification now includes the following formats:

- For movies – 1080p @ 23.98/24Hz
- For games – 720p @ 50 or 59.94/60Hz
- For broadcast (Side-by-Side Horizontal) 1080i @ 50 or 59.94/60Hz
- For broadcast (Top-and-Bottom) 720p @ 50 or 59.94/60Hz or 1080p @ 23.97/24Hz

All that clear? Well, HDMI LIcensing says that " Implementing the mandatory formats of the HDMI Specification facilitates interoperability among devices, allowing devices to speak a common 3D language when transmitting and receiving 3D content."

The specification requires that displays must support all the mandatory formats, source equipment must support at least one, and repeaters (such as switches, and the switching in AV receivers) must be able to pass through all mandatory formats.

HDMI adopters have 90 days to ensure their equipment meets the standard.

Not, of course, that manufacturers will be able to describe their products as HDMI 1.4, or 1.4a: the new descriptions mean cable companies have to refer to their products as 'High Speed' or 'Standard', while manufacturers of HDMI-equipped hardware have until the end of next year to stop mentioning version numbers.

Got all that? If not, information from the 3D portion of the 1.4a specification is available for download here. Enjoy...

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