SUNNYVALE, CALIF.: The licensing consortium behind the high-definition multimedia interface is making the 3D portion of its specification available to the public. HDMI is manifested most commonly the 19-pin connecters linking TV sets with set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, PCs, PlayStations, etc., for the transfer of high-definition video and audio. The 3D portion of the latest of the HDMI spec would also facilitate the transfer of 3D video content. The 3D bit can be downloaded by registering on the HDMI Licensing Web site.
HDMI Licensing said it’s making this 3D portion of the standard available for companies that may need it, “but have not executed an HDMI adopter agreement.” Adoption involves licensing fees of $5,000 or $10,000 a year and royalty fees of 4 to 15 cents per unit sold. Around 800 companies have become adopters, the majority of them in China. Tektronix and Agilent are listed among 10 companies that manufacture HDMI test equipment, for which the $10,000 annual license fee is charged.
HDMI Licensing itself is a wholly owned subsidiary of Silicon Image, one of seven companies that developed the technology. The others are Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, Thomson and Toshiba.
A version 1.4a is expected to be released soon. It will have updates to the 3D material, which will likewise become available for public download. -- Deborah D. McAdams
(Image by aleighn)
