Every couple of years someone comes up with a daring plan to have one system take over and become the ubiquitous backbone of a market or function. MIDI laid claim to something like this for several years in music and interface automation. Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) has continued to fight for complete dominance of the device configuration arena, despite several Bill Gates Blue Screen failuresat live events. IEEE recently announced the formation of working committees to formulate content over CAT 5 standard.
HDMI has announced – (admittedly, this was announced in January but it is still relevant and moving forward) plans to present HDMI not just for content delivery of video and audio but to act as the data backbone as well. It is an interesting attempt to grow the usefulness of HDMI and insure its necessity in any wired home; and, of course, fulfill their plans to take over the world!
The pursuit of one system that does-it-all over a single cable or methodology can be almost spiritual in function, acting as if in recursion, much like the mythical Ouroboros, forming a constant state of eternal return. In such cases the apparent limitation and exclusivity are, in actuality, inspiration to development and open new pathways of innovation.
There is also a danger in allowing a single technology to be the medium for all content. Kevin Kelly recently wrote a fascinating and captivating commentary on the Ted Kaczynski\ Unabomber treatise. In life as well as technology there always exists the danger of over reaching the purpose and function of a topology or medium, winding up like Bellerophon , wandering alone.
At its barest form the concern stems from the debate of centralized vs. distributed control and memory. Is it best to store values in the processor – (centralized) or to store them in individual units being controlled? The arguments on both sides carry a great deal of validity and detriment in application.
In the Case of HDMI, One has to question if it has the data rate room for 1080p Deep Color (which requires a data rate of 6.7Gbps) and full Ethernet data? The better question is just what would have to be given up to accommodate the addition of Ethernet backbone topology? Would CEC have to go away? This would not be such a bad thing as nearly no one actually uses it those who do appear to have only conceived of this as a single source to display concept. I am unclear, and the press releases does not attempt to answer, just what would have to give, (if anything), In order for this to be accomplished.
Given HDMi’s severe limitations on cable distance one would have to presume that some manner of CAT 5 solution or converter will be necessary, especially if it is intended for retrofits. The proposition leaves many who are building HDMI distribution products without an eye towards this latent but present capability suddenly tagged as legacy. For those who designed with an understanding of just what HDMI is, and will be, capable of the world just may be their oyster.
Update: 2-25-09
Ah, the things twitter can show you. This morning I opened up my twitter account ,my http://twitter.com/TuckerTues and not the http://twitter.com/CresrtronHQ , and find an endgadget article on the DiiVa connector which claims
"Forward channel video speeds of 13.6 Gbps provide plenty of room for 1080p and higher resolutions with Deep Color, plus the two-way connection at up to 2.25Gbps that can simultaneously handle multichannel audio, control or other data"
