Apple among tech leaders developing next PC to HDTV interface

Apple Computer is among a group of Leading PC and consumer electronics companies that announced on Tuesday they are working to develop a specification, referred to as the unified display interface (UDI), that is intended to serve as the next-generation standard for connectivity between PCs and consumer electronics devices like HDTVs.

"UDI is targeted to become the new display interface for desktop PCs, workstations, notebook PCs and PC monitors, replacing the aging VGA analog standard and providing guidelines to ensure compatibility with today's DVI standard," the group said in a statement.

The UDI specification will be fully compatible with HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), the standard digital interface for High Definition TVs (HDTVs) and advanced CE displays. It will also be able to use High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology widely deployed in HDMI-compatible products today. As a result, host platforms with UDI connectors will be able to plug into monitors and HDMI-equipped display devices including HDTVs with full content-use rights management and high-definition video compatibility.

For end users, UDI will provide a universal video connection from the computer host to the display, including PC and notebook monitors, HDTVs and projectors. For PC and monitor makers, UDI will offer easy integration with both discrete and integrated graphics controllers, letting manufacturers build computer platforms and all-digital LCD monitors that are lower in cost, easier to use and higher in bandwidth.

Other members of the group UDI specification group — dubbed the UDI Special Interest Group (or UDI SIG) — involved in the ongoing development and refinement of the specification include Intel Corp., LG Electronics, National Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics and Silicon Image Inc. Joining the SIG as contributors are graphics chip maker NVIDIA Corp., semiconductor manufacturer THine Electronics Inc., and cable and connector makers FCI, Foxconn Electronics Inc. and JAE Electronics Inc.

The group is currently seeking more industry participants to help validate and refine the display interface specification, which is currently in revision 0.8. The UDI SIG expects to have the version 1.0 specification completed in the second quarter of 2006.

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71 Comments

hmurchison

said about 18 years ago

I can't find their website.

I don't see what UDI does that HDMI doesn't already.

HDMI

Supports Audio,Video and RGB
Supports HDCP
Supports DVI signals
Supports longer cable lengths

What this sounds like is a group of vendors that want the industry to again move to "yet another connection" I want to see hard proof that this UDI connection is worthy of the long and arduous process of upgrading components again.

ctachme

said about 18 years ago

Quote:

Originally posted by hmurchison
I can't find their website.

I don't see what UDI does that HDMI doesn't already.

HDMI

Supports Audio,Video and RGB
Supports HDCP
Supports DVI signals
Supports longer cable lengths

What this sounds like is a group of vendors that want the industry to again move to "yet another connection" I want to see hard proof that this UDI connection is worthy of the long and arduous process of upgrading components again.

No kidding, this is complete crap. I honestly don't understand what this is about. How can it be fully compatible with somthing that already exists and it perfectly fine?. Heck, look at what they are going to do with it:

Quote:

For end users, UDI will provide a universal video connection from the computer host to the display, including PC and notebook monitors, HDTVs and projectors.

Not only does HDMI do that just fine, so does DVI!!

God, I hate it when there are 5 different standards that do the same thing.

But, wait I take that back. If this can support, say UHDV signals, in addition to current technologies, that would be cool. Of course, without any real information, we can't know, can we?

melgross

said about 18 years ago

Quote:

It's supposed to be less expensive to implement. Longer cable runs with less interference. Thinner cables that are less expensive. Right now, if you want a front projector, it's expensive and difficult to set it up if the equipment is across the room. I was thinking about this at home. I was going to get a front projection unit. It would have required at least 60 feet of cable from the projector to the equipment bay. It would have needed a $600 booster. The cable was another $200. This could lower that cost to under $100. This will allow much less difficult ways of stringing a cable through the ceiling, walls, or under the floor. I bought an Hp 65" DLP instead.

But this is just the physical layer. The software layer has been worked on since the 1990's. It's not new. The idea is to have binary drivers that will work across all operating systems.

This Intel page will get you started:

http://www.intel.com/design/servers/...lib/udi_wp.htm

The PDF here shows some of the thoughts on this that go back a ways:

http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/serv...cvips&gifs=yes

I can't find the Home page either. It's called something else, and I can't remember what.

kmok1

said about 18 years ago

Two words that worry me: "Rights management"

Why do they want this in a display?

louzer

said about 18 years ago

Quote:

Originally posted by ctachme
No kidding, this is complete crap. I honestly don't understand what this is about. How can it be fully compatible with somthing that already exists and it perfectly fine?. Heck, look at what they are going to do with it: Not only does HDMI do that just fine, so does DVI!!

God, I hate it when there are 5 different standards that do the same thing.

But, wait I take that back. If this can support, say UHDV signals, in addition to current technologies, that would be cool. Of course, without any real information, we can't know, can we?

That's right. All these corporations got together, said "Hey, let's reimplement something that already works for no reason at all!" and they decided that it was a good thing to waste their money on. Maybe they're looking for a nice adapter and PCI card spec to plug your HDTV receiver into your computer.

Just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean its another standard to do the same thing. Oh, and DVI doesn't already hook stuff together that follow the HDMI content protection standards. So you can output your content to an HDMI device, but it won't come in without the support.