Goodbye HDMI, Hello HDBaseT

If you're serious about HDTV, you're probably using an HDMI cables to connect your cable or satellite receiver, video game consoles and Blu-Ray player to your television. HDMI works well, but the cords themselves usually cost way too much. In fact, it's not uncommon for a store to make more money selling you an HDMI cable for your new HD television than they do on the TV itself! HDMI also has some technical limitations, such as a somewhat low maximum length before the cable stops working.

In order to move to a less limited and less expensive new standard, a group of leading electronics manufacturers, including Sony, LG & Samsung, have been working on on a replacement for HDMI. Named HDBaseT, the new standard is based on the same CAT5e/6 wiring used to connect modems and routers to computers.

Not only will the new standard make it cheaper to get the most of your HDTV, but it will also open up lots of new possibilities. The cables can transmit signals for 328 feet, making it much easier for many people to connect their computers to their TVs to watch online content in the living room. Also, not only will the cable be able to transmit HD and 3D video, it will be able to transmit data at 100 Mbps and power. This means one day, there might only be one wire connected to your TV!

The HDBaseT standard has only just been finalized, though devices supporting the new technology are foretasted to be on the shelves this year with most of the roll-out to happen in 2011. You can get more information at the official HDBaseT site.