HDMI cards ?

[Gary Corcoran]

Julian Stacey wrote:
> FreeBSD Hardware people,
> I'm about to buy a big TV, (for TV not as console).  For FreeBSD+Xorg
> linkage I presume DVI is the interface needed, & DVI-I not DVI-D ?
> & HDMI to be avoided ? I don't know if FreeBSD & X even drives cards
> for HDMI ?
> 
> To future proof: If a DVI or HDMI card later dies & need replacing,
> Question of what'll then be popular:  I suppose DVI will migrate
> to normal PC main boards later, not HDMI.  (HDMI has inbuilt HDCP,
> (whereas DVI has HDCP only if TV also has "HD Ready" as mine will
> have), so perhaps 1 more reason DVI will win & HDMI may die, to
> avoid Hollywood crippling ?)
> 
> PS Acronym & resolution notes here http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/txt/tv.html

Essentially all new big screen (Hi-Def) TVs come with an HDMI connector.
Some also include a DVI connector as well.  HDMI is digital video, plus
audio, in one cable.  DVI carries video only.  However DVI (digital) video
and HDMI video are compatible - you only need a cable with the right
connectors on it to convert from one to the other.  Unfortunately they
tend to charge outrageous prices for such cables though (at least for now).

You are correct that everything with an HDMI connector includes the
capability for HDCP.  However most PC video cards with a DVI connector
do NOT yet include HDCP.  It costs a few cents more for the HDCP license
and to include a unique ID number chip on the card, so most manufacturers
haven't done it yet.  However with the requirement of HDCP for Blu-Ray disc
playback on a PC, more video cards will be getting HDCP capability added on.
Of course you'll need either a PC video monitor with HDCP capability (some
already exist) or a TV with HDMI/DVI which has HDCP.  However if the "user"
of the video card (e.g. something *other* than Blu-Ray/HD playback software)
doesn't (require) turn on of HDCP then you can connect any video monitor/TV.

So unless you plan on using Windows to do software Blu-Ray (or someday HD DVD)
playback, HDCP capability on your video card doesn't matter to you.  However
having HDCP _capability_ won't "hurt" anything - it just won't get turned on
by FreeBSD software (e.g. X Windows).

Or, looking at it the other way around, if this is your concern: you should,
with the right cable, be able to connect an existing (non-HDCP) DVI video card
to your shiny new TV's HDMI connector and it will work, as it will just send
unencrypted digital video over the connection to the TV, since the HDCP
handshake will never take place, as the video card doesn't request it.  At
least that's my understanding - I haven't bitten the bullet and gotten a new
TV - yet, though I try to keep up with things and I'm interested in buying.

Because HDMI includes audio, I don't see HDMI connectors showing up on video
cards, because of the variety of audio solutions (e.g. plug-in card, built-in).
However it is possible that a motherboard which has video + audio built-in
could support an HDMI connector.  But since that would be the exception,
and thus PC video monitors will probably still use DVI, I would think that
all PC video connectors will remain DVI, to be compatible with the monitors.
Until, of course, we *all* start getting monitors so big (in resolution) that
DVI can't handle the bandwidth...  ;-)

Does this answer your questions/concerns?

Gary