[Stuart Wright]

This useful guide (in PDF format) was sent to me by Chris Moseley from Yamaha with the accompanying message:

May be of some use to members of your forum. HDMI is very mis understood in the market place and this guide is an unbiased document which should help prevent people from buying without really understanding what they are getting. We wrote this for our dealers as they tend to understand a bit and make up the rest with what they already know about other connection types and common sense, however HDMI doesn't really follow the rules of other connections or common sense!
It's not really pro Yamaha and isn't advertising our products, all though there are a few photos of Yamaha products.

Thanks Chris.
Hope you folks find it useful.

[Abbeygoo]

Interesting in the section titled : "misconceptions" - the guide states that not all cables are of the same quality. This debate appears frequently on these forums where people believe that all HDMI cables of, say 1m, are the same quality yet retailers / manufacturers would have you believe differently.

Interesting read, thanks Stuart.

[KyleS1]

Top read that! I was completely uneducated on HDMI etc before reading that, and it really makes things a lot clearer.
I'll understand a lot more of the posts in this forum now!

[loz]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

Interesting in the section titled : "misconceptions" - the guide states that not all cables are of the same quality. This debate appears frequently on these forums where people believe that all HDMI cables of, say 1m, are the same quality yet retailers / manufacturers would have you believe differently.

It depends how you define "quality".

In the report, Yamaha state

HDMI cables are available in different qualities. These will, just as other cables do, vary the quality of the passing signal. Some cables can carry high bandwidth data over a greater distance than others as a consequence of this degradation.

It is true to say that "HDMI cables are available in different qualities."
E.g. they may differ in terms of construction quality or material quality.

The consequence of the construction and material quality is as Yamaha state, "...Some cables can carry high bandwidth data over a greater distance than others as a consequence..."

However, this is not the same as saying "HDMI cables produce different picture quality."

I don't think anyone argues that an expensive QED HDMI cable is better constructed or made of better materials than the freebie that comes in the box with some equipment. However, people do argue about whether using the QED HDMI cable results in a better PQ compared to the freebie cable when used at short lengths...

[recruit]

I have created a link in the FAQs thread sticky at the top of this page, thanks Stuart

[hornydragon]

Its not perfect (ineed to check some things i dont have with me) but fair play to yamaha uk and chris for producing and releasing this document. Hopefully the industry is realising that better educated of frontline staff is required and urban myths need dispelling

[cjb]

very interesting info, especially as I bought a YAMAHA 757se thinking it would convert evrything to Hdef.
BUT, one thing the guide didn't say was the answer to my question...
Is HDMI cabling designed to be HOTSWAP ?. and if not, do both ends need to be 'OFF' b4 pluggin ???
I wonder how many different answers I get
and for that matter.. is COMPONENT cable HOTSWAP

[Davy]

An interesting read, which certainly answered a few questions and dispelled a few myths. As to the quality (and subsequent cost) of cabelling is seems to confirm my own experiences (yes I also am taken in by the manufacturers and buy decent cables); that when replacing audio cables, I can definately hear an improvement but when replacing video cables, errr I think I can see the difference.

[hornydragon]

Originally Posted by cjb

Is HDMI cabling designed to be HOTSWAP ?. and if not, do both ends need to be 'OFF' b4 pluggin ???
I wonder how many different answers I get
and for that matter.. is COMPONENT cable HOTSWAP

HDMI has a hot swap pin assigned (not sure if this is to enable or disable hot swapping)component is hot swapable

This is from a cable maker's site, but I found it very informative.
<http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/whats-the-matter-with-hdmi.htm>

[Tejstar]

A very interesting read - thanks Stuart and Chris.

[cjb]

Re HDMI is/isn't hot swappable
So thats one for the maybe it is, maybe it isn't then.

[Joe Fernand]

Hello cjb

HDMI is billed as 'hot swappable' - though:

01. You definitely 'see' a spark with lots of kit if your working in the dark.

02. HDCP is not robust enough on lots of kit to survive a cable disconnect/reconnect and you have to reboot the Display and or Source before things talk to each other again.

Where possible I'd advise you to not hot swap.

Joe

[cjb]

Thanks for that.. I assumed it wasn't hotswap but had not seen it in black' n' white. So evryone better "be careful out there".