This week, I explained what HDMI is and how it works with
content protection.  Let's continue with more on the appropriate times to use HDMI and how to overcome issues with older HDMI implementations.

When and Why to Use HDMI

From a practical standpoint, one inexpensive HDMI cable can
replace several expensive analog connections on a single device. In some cases,
a single device could require up to 11 cables for multi-channel audio and
high-resolution video; HDMI replaces them all as an efficient, unified
solution. More importantly, if you have a non-CRT digital television like an
LCD, DLP or LCoS set, using HDMI avoids several analog-to-digital
conversions.  When you use an analog
component connection between your digital source and digital display, the data
on the DVD is converted to analog and sent via component cable to the display,
which then converts the analog component signal back to digital so you can view
it.  But with a digital HDMI connection,
the information on the DVD is sent unchanged to your digital display for
viewing. While some people may not notice the conversions, you want to avoid
them where possible.

From a content standpoint, HD DVD and Blu-ray players have
to look for an Image Constraint Token (ICT) on all discs.  If the disc is equipped with an ICT and the
player isn’t connected to a HDCP capable display, it will down convert the
video from 1080p to 540p.  No titles
currently invoke the ICT, but the studios can start using it on a title by
title basis at any time.  The main reason
they haven’t used it yet is because so many people have older HDTVs that don’t
support HDCP.  Also, upconverting DVD
players with HDMI aren’t supposed to output higher than a 480p signal over
component video, and will only output an upconverted signal over HDMI (these
same rules apply to HD DVD and Blu-ray players when they are playing back
DVDs).

And from a resolution standpoint, HDMI maxes out at 1080p resolution, which makes it essential for larger TVs that support that maximum. Not all content supports 1080p, but for game systems and high-def disc players, HDMI is your best bet for transferring 1080p content to your screen.

HDMI Issues

While it seems like using HDMI should be as simple as
plugging in a wire and turning on your equipment, it doesn’t always work that
way.  While most new HDMI devices don’t
have interface problems,  some early
devices (mostly cable and satellite set top boxes) didn’t fully support the
standard.  They would work great when an
HDMI cable connected them directly to your display but wouldn’t work when you
connected them to a repeating device (like an A/V receiver).  If you have one of these boxes, try
contacting your cable or satellite provider to see if there is a software
update, if not a free hardware replacement. 
If not, I recommend that you try to use a digital audio cable to connect
the box to your receiver. In some cases this won’t work, and you may need to
resort to using an analog component video connection. Fortunately, many
receivers that support HDMI will allow you to convert component signals to
HDMI, so you can still connect a single cable from the receiver to the display. 

Another issue happens (also typically with early devices) when
users connect their source to their display using HDMI, and then run a digital
audio connection to their non-HDMI receiver for surround sound.  Since most displays can only support a two-channel
stereo signal, your source can limit the audio-out to stereo output or even
shutdown the digital connection to the receiver.  If you are using this configuration and are
only getting two channels sent to your receiver, look for an option in the
setup menu of your display or the source device to turn HDMI audio off.  Some issues can be easily remedied by checking
that all settings match up in your source, receiver, and display (which will
vary based on the make and model of each component).  If you are having problems, check your
owners’ manuals for specific settings and instructions on how to change
them.  Other issues may require firmware
updates from the manufacturer—a process that can be painful but will sometimes save
you from shipping the device back to the manufacturer.  In some rare instances, there may be no
workarounds due to limitations in how HDMI was implemented in your components,
and you may be forced to use component video.

If you are having problems and are using a HDMI switch,
repeater, or some type of booster, make sure you are using one that has an
external power supply.  Any product that derives
its power directly from an HDMI cable does more harm than good.

In the next installment, I’ll talk about the different
versions of HDMI, the optional features they support, and some purchasing
considerations. --Adam

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The Amazon High Def Team is asked a lot of questions about
HDMI, so I thought it would be a good idea to explain and explore the cabling format in a three-part series.  In this post, I’ll give
some background information about HDMI along with its association with content
protection.

What is HDMI and how does it work?

HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface.  It uses a single bi-direction cable with 19
conductors that can carry both high-definition digital video and high-resolution
audio. Since the signal is bi-directional, all devices in the chain can
communicate their current status and capabilities. HDMI devices (TVs, high-def
disc players, etc.) can tell when HDMI cables are attached and detached, when
components are powered on and off, when inputs are switched, and so on.

All HDMI equipped displays are required to have an Extended
Display Identification Data (EDID) chip. 
The EDID includes information about the display such as make, model, and
serial number.  It also includes
important information about the capabilities of the display like audio
capabilities, supported video resolutions, and color depths.  This information exchanged between the
devices makes sure that the source device doesn’t send a signal to the display
that it can’t handle.  For example, if
you have an LCD TV that will accept 720p and 1080i video and will only take two-channel (left and right) audio, your HDMI-connected playback source won’t send
1080p video or multi-channel audio even if it is set to, since the intelligence
built into HDMI knows that your display can’t handle it based on what the EDID
reported.  While this normally works
great, it can cause some issues depending upon how your equipment manufacturer
implemented HDMI.  Additional
authenticating needs to take place when you are viewing content-protected
media.

Content Protection

HDMI uses the High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection
(HDCP) standard for copy protection. 
All HDMI playback devices, including cable and satellite set-top boxes,
upconverting DVD players, and high-def disc players, are required to use
HDCP.  When HDCP-equipped source devices
are first powered on, they use HDMI to “handshake” with receiving devices. All devices, including the source, receiver,
and display, need to authenticate and verify that they are HDCP-authorized by exchanging
a unique key with each other.  Once the
devices are authenticated, the source device starts encrypting and transmitting
the audio and video signal.  The
encryption is random and changes approximately every two seconds when the
source re-authenticates with the receiving device.  If the authentication ever fails, the source
will stop transmitting or reduce the quality of the signal.

HDCP is only used for high-definition copy-protected
content like HD DVD, Blu-ray and high-def pay-per-view. 
It is not used for high-definition over-the-air broadcast signals, or
any standard definition sources like DVD (unless they are upconverted).  It is also not used for non-commercial
content like HD home movies.  Some
monitors equipped with DVI do not support HDCP, so using an HDMI-to-DVI adapter
will not allow you to watch copy-protected content on these monitors. You will get either no picture or a standard-definition
picture.  It’s important to remember that
all devices connected through HDMI must support HDCP if you are watching copy-protected
HD content.

In the next post, I’ll talk about when and why
to use HDMI and some issues to be aware of when you do.  A future post will cover the different
versions of HDMI, the optional features they support, and purchasing
considerations. --Adam

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Italian artist/provocateur Graziano Cecchini, who previously colored the waters Rome's Trevi Fountain blood-red last October, committed another public art attack. This time he unleashed 500,000 colored plastic balls (the same kind you find in the McDonald's play area) down the Spanish Steps. Here's some video footage of the stunt (I'd love to translate how the policewoman at the 2:15 point called in this art attack):

And here's a bit about what inspired Cecchini to embark on this stunt, as well as what happened next:

Mr Cecchini later stated that the protest was staged to raise the profile of Burma and the Karen people. Arranging the protest had cost him some £15,000 and a handsome fine we're sure.

Jean Leonard Touadi, Rome's head of security wasn't amused. He stated that getting publicity at the expense of the city just wasn't funny, a feeling that the large number of police officers required to clean up the mess probably shared.

But gadgetophiles might look at this and find something very familiar about it. Mr. Cecchini seems to have also taken some inspirado from this Web ad for Sony Bravia HDTVs (which features one of my faves, Jose Gonzalez, on the soundtrack of the ad) from a couple years back.

One wonders what he might be able to do with the most recent Bravia ad:

~Agen G.N. Schmitz

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Sony isn't the only company showing off their new OLED tech. Samsung is close on their heels with their 14" and 31" prototypes. They sport the same razor sharp detail and extraordinary color intensity, but they are quoted as being slightly thicker at "less than 2cm". Still, that's pretty darned skinny, and it looks just as good. And by good, I mean incredible. There are no official release dates or prices for either model, so for now Sony is your only choice if you absolutely have to own one right this moment.




Back in the realm of current technology, Samsung has unveiled their new Ultra Slim LCD television. They have reduced the thickness of their 1080p screen to only 4cm. To do so, they have had to do away with on-board speakers though. It does still have the tuner, so it is a true television and not just a monitor. This set should be available in early 2009.




Samsung is also revolutionizing plasma technology. Their new 3-D plasma system incorporates a special plasma television that runs at 120Hz, the 3-D conversion unit, and a set of glasses. The conversion unit hooks into a media PC that is then connected to the TV. The included software will convert any DVD in your media PC to 3-D. It will also convert compatible video games into 3-D as well. (Of course, you always have the option of playing everything in 2-D.) The whole system works by interlacing frames and synchronizing them with the glasses. Video remains smooth, since the television runs at double the regular 60Hz framerate. This system is slated to be released Q1 of this year.

-- Jon D.

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First impressions of upcoming movies, based on trailer (Click on the title to watch the trailer: You may need QuickTime for most). Release dates are subject to change.

Jumper (dir. Doug Liman) I don't know what's more exciting: a Jedi-less Hayden Christensen teleporting through walls, Jamie Bell all grown up and smarmy, Doug Liman (Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) directing, or Samuel L. Jackson's Demolition Man-'fro. (OK, maybe that last one not so much) Rachel Bilson even pops in as Christensen's girlfriend, and the visual effects (People jumping! Jumping everywhere!) are nifty. (Feb. 15)






Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (dir. Tim Burton) If Tim Burton had to direct a musical starring Johnny Depp (looking like Edward Scissorhands' Bizarro twin), there's none more apropos than Sweeney Todd, about an unjustly imprisoned man who returns as a ... barber, blade in hand, leering, "I will guarantee you the closest shave you've ever known." Gulp. With Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen. (That's right, Borat and Jack Sparrow in the same movie!) A blood-filled song-and-dance just in time for the holiday season. Hey, at least it's an alternative to The Nutcracker. (Dec. 21)

Grace is Gone (dir. James Strouse) A big hit at Sundance, and John Cusack's best contention for an Oscar nominee yet is this intimate drama about an Army husband who learns his sergeant wife has been killed in the line of duty and decides to take his two young daughters on a final-moments-of-innocence impromptu road trip to an amusement park before he has to break the news that their mother has died. Are you crying yet? (Dec. 9)





The Bucket List (dir. Rob Reiner) Why was Jack Nicholson bald at the Oscars? He was filming this buddy comedy about two terminally ill patients who decide to accomplish their wish list before they kick the bucket (hence the title). Nicholson plays a billionaire able to take fellow patient Morgan Freeman skydiving and to the Taj Mahal. So what does Freeman, as a working-class mechanic, contribute? Wisdom and sentiment, of course (Did you expect any less from Morgan Freeman?). (Dec. 25)






No Country for Old Men (dir. Coen Brothers) Why is Javier Bardem sporting Peter Tork's hairstyle? Why does he flip coins before killing people? There may not be answers in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, a huge hit at Cannes and Oscar contender (particularly for Tommy Lee Jones' aging sheriff). Josh Brolin, in probably the best role he'll ever have, stumbles upon a truck with dead bodies, loads of drugs and million in cash. As soon as he picks up the bag, trouble's a'lookin' for him, particularly in the form of Bardem's mysterious baddie. (Nov. 9)
--Ellen

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“Hulk Smash!” Hulk grammar is particularly forgiving,
requiring only a noun and verb. Well, occasionally an adjective, as in, “Hulk angry!” And as we all know, you do not want to be around the Incredible Hulk
when he is angry. Like a steroid-ridden lineman, he will smash whatever is in
his way. Of course, the steroids in this case are replaced by gamma radiation
from an unfortunate explosion at his day job as world-renown scientist Bruce
Banner.

You see, Banner was testing a gamma bomb, and when a wayward
kid ended up on the test site, he ran to save him, taking in more than a bit of
the aforementioned radiation. This left banner with an unfortunate Jekyll
and Hyde predicament, a transformation to a lumbering green monster triggered
by anger (interestingly, it was at first more of a werewolf predicament,
triggered by sundown). As for the Hulk’s green skin, an interesting side note
is that it was originally gray. Printers had trouble getting a consistent
shade, and the green Hulk was born. Yep.
 
Despite the fact that he is not a vigilante and does not
wear tights, Hulk has been as prone to media expansion as other superheros over
the years. Most notable is the 1978-82 television series, The Incredible Hulk, which featured bodybuilder Lou
Ferrigno as our green friend (in his present-day role as himself on TV series King
of Queens, he is still subjected to Hulk jokes). There was also the ‘80s
animated series, appearances in video games on nearly every console the world
has witnessed, and Ang Lee’s 2003 feature film, which
serendipitously featured a guy named Bana playing a guy named Banner (not to
mention wildman Nick Nolte as Banner’s pops). And who could forget John
Belushi’s hilarious interpretation? Not me.

Of course, none of these items would have existed
without the comic book series, which GIT Corp collects on its Incredible Hulk the Complete Comic Collection. Here we have 535
complete issues of the first volume in PDF format, including annuals, articles,
and advertisements, spanning four decades (1962-2006). A marvel-ous gift for
the large green person in your life.

~Jason

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This week on Amazon Wire we're talking to Ridley Scott about the new Blade Runner: Ultimate Collector's Edition.

Thanks for listening!

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*Stream above with Flash player
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Certainly, you folks have seen the news from this week's Consumer Electronics Show about Warner Bros.
siding with Blu-ray, but the real name of CES is hardware--which Blu-ray has made
its own splashes in as well. But while pouring over countless player
announcements this week, it’s easy to get confused--BD Live? High-def audio codecs? Why do these
players seem to be so wildly different from each other?

For the most part, the difference is in audio. Though all
Blu-ray discs and players support surround sound, players do not all come with
internal support for advanced audio codecs like Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby
TrueHD, and DTS HD.  These features usually aren’t found on less expensive
players. But the higher picture quality of Blu-ray is only one of the advantages
over standard DVD; these optional audio features increase surround sound
capabilities from 5.1 to 7.1, and some add the benefit of lossless
(uncompressed) surround sound. What’s more, these formats typically require an
HDMI 1.3 connection.

If you buy a player that only delivers bitstream (optical,
coaxial) output, you may not always be able to take advantage of superior audio
codecs, unless you have a high-end receiver that supports the decoding of the
bitstream.  Even if you have a receiver that can handle the decoding, if
you plan on watching the picture-in-picture features that the new players
support, the bitstream--only players deliver standard- quality Dolby Digital or
DTS when PIP is activated.  Players with internal decoding can still
output high resolution audio during PIP. In the end, the right Blu-ray player
for you will match up with your surround sound setup and accompanying receiver.
If this all sounds Greek to you, stick with a lower-tier player, but to make
the most of your surround sound investment, read your player’s specs and make
sure they match your living room’s setup.

All of this year’s new players (and any other new ones going
forward) support Bonus View, also known as Final Standard Profile or Profile
1.1.  This means that they can support PIP. The only Blu-ray players on
the market that support this right now are the Sony PlayStation 3, the
Panasonic DMP-BD30, and the Samsung BD-UP5000 combo player.  If you want to
have full feature support for the new titles, make sure you buy one of these
players, or wait for one of this year’s many new models from the likes of
Philips, Sharp and others. Otherwise, newer movies will still work by default
on an older player, but some of their bonus features may not play. BD Live,
meanwhile, is yet another spec of Blu-ray (also known as Profile 2.0). This
spec requires more memory and a mandatory Internet connection--designed to
allow you to download special, movie-specific content to your player--but it
has yet to see much support from either movies or hardware. In other words, don't fret over BD Live. --Adam

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With last week's Spirit Award noms, the indie Gotham Awards and today's National Board of Review announcements, the Oscar season has officially begun (starter gun noise).

No Country for Old Men, the Coen brothers' violent, sprawling drama starring Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem, took top honors this year for best picture. It also earned honors for the Coens in the
adapted-screenplay category and for best ensemble cast. Roger Deakins,
the Coens' longtime cinematographer, will receive a career achievement
award from the group.

The Board of Review is always one of the first to name their top picks of the year, and many of them make it all the way into the Oscar nominations list. Here's the list of their winners:

Best Picture: No Country for Old Men
Best Director: Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
Best Actor: George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Best Actress: Julie Christie, Away from Her
Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Best Filmmaking Debut: Ben Affleck, Gone Baby Gone
Breakthrough Actor: Emile Hirsch, Into the Wild
Breakthrough Actress: Ellen Page, Juno
Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, Juno, and Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl (tie)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Best Foreign-Language Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Best Documentary: Body of War

The rest of the Board of Review's Top Ten movies of the year (in alphabetical order)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bucket List
Into the Wild
Juno
The Kite Runner
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Sweeney Todd

--Ellen

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