Not if you want to get the costs down to a level where affordable players & cables are marketable...

Posted by Audiophilander (A) on January 23, 2008 at 13:22:39

In Reply to: Wouldn't that be simply economies of scale ? nt posted by oscar on January 22, 2008 at 20:07:56:

... to Joe Public. If the general public was, in theory, confused by the concept of two competing formats (as Warners marketing division claims) then they'd be completely dumbfounded if offered a choice between two incompatible methods of transferring data from point A to point B.

For all intent and purpose, the DVI standard was compatible, worked just fine and didn't have as many handshake issues that HDMI, but DVI cables can't carry sound. The two big selling points for HDMI are an ability to transfer picture and sound together and the relatively low cost of cables (making one standard universally accessible). If an optical system could've been implemented to satisfy both bandwidth and cost requirements without being too fragile (an issue with some fiber optic cables) then the high definition gurus probably would've opted for a unified optical standard similar to the one you're suggesting.

Cheers,
AuPh

PS: Oscar, the new Denon AVR-1908 arrived today; I should have it fully connected, checked out and ready to go for the A/V summit Saturday! Now the true test will be running Zone 2 to my Audible Illusions line stage for the front channels; then everything will be on track. :o)

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - HDMI vs. Optical; why did HDMI become the standard ? - oscar 19:16:46 01/22/08 (13)

RE: HDMI vs. Optical; why did HDMI become the standard ? - fmw 02:53:42 01/23/08 (3)

HDCP could have been implemented over optical. nt - oscar 04:28:00 01/23/08 (2)

RE: HDCP could have been implemented over optical. nt - fmw 05:20:18 01/23/08 (1)

RE: HDCP could have been implemented over optical. nt - fmw 05:44:34 01/23/08 (0)

I thought optical didn't have the bandwidth to handle 1080p video + high res audio NT - Jazz Inmate 21:35:43 01/22/08 (4)

here are the numbers - Joe Murphy Jr 18:48:36 01/23/08 (0)

Toslink can't handle the bandwidth, that doesn't mean another optical standard couldn't support it. - oscar 04:47:28 01/23/08 (2)

True, but labels and studios have piracy concerns and a technology like HDMI is very important to them NT - Jazz Inmate 09:35:17 01/23/08 (1)

the connection method means nothing to the studios - Joe Murphy Jr 18:37:30 01/23/08 (0)

cost - Joe Murphy Jr 19:55:07 01/22/08 (3)

Wouldn't that be simply economies of scale ? nt - oscar 20:07:56 01/22/08 (2)

Not if you want to get the costs down to a level where affordable players & cables are marketable... - Audiophilander 13:22:39 01/23/08 (1)

I gotta wonder if mass-produced CE fiber optics wouldn't be any more expensive than HDMI connections. - oscar 05:07:58 01/24/08 (0)

Follow Ups

Not if you want to get the costs down to a level where affordable players & cables are marketable... - Audiophilander 13:22:39 01/23/08 (1)

I gotta wonder if mass-produced CE fiber optics wouldn't be any more expensive than HDMI connections. - oscar 05:07:58 01/24/08 (0)

Not if you want to get the costs down to a level where affordable players & cables are marketable...

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