How HDMI works - Navo

• If you've shopped for an HDTV, a PlayStation 3, or an HD-DVD or Blu-ray pla­yer, you've probably heard about HDMI. It can seem like just one of many connections on televisions or home-theater receivers. But HDMI is more than a port on the back of a TV (and the often expensive cable that fits inside). It's a set of rules for allowing high-definition electronic devices to communicate. ­­
• Before the development of high-definition televisions, most TVs displayed pictures in what is now known as standard definition.The picture was roughly square -- its aspect ratio was 4:3. Its resolution, or the number of dots that make up the picture on the screen, was about 704 x 480 pixels.
•  The picture was interlaced -- each piece of the moving image was really half a picture, but the pictures changed quickly enough that the human brain didn't really notice. Finally, older TVs relied on analog signals, which travel as a constantly varying electrical current.
• Created by a group of electronics manufacturers, the HDMI standard is a set of guidelines for creating high-bandwidth connections between digital devices. With the right setup, HDMI can make a significant difference in a home-theater system. The current standard can carry 1080p high-definition signals, and it supports eight channels of uncompressed audio, enough for a 7.1 surround-sound system. 

   HDMI Founders

1. Hitachi
2. Matsushita Electric (Panasonic)
3. Royal Philips Electronics
4. Silicon Image
5. Sony Corporation
6. Thomson and Toshiba Corporation