HDTV and personal computers might be made for each other, but it helps to have a simple way to hook all the pieces together. Hoping to make that happen, a group of computer and electronics companies has joined to develop a specification for a PC interface that connects with HD video signals.
Called the Unified Display Interface (UDI), the spec is expected to replace the aging VGA analog standard and provide guidelines to ensure compatibility with the DVI standard. UDI will also be compatible with HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), the standard digital interface for HDTVs and advanced consumer electronics displays.
UDI will be able to use the High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology widely deployed in HDMI-compatible devices 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 HD 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 is intended to enable easy integration with both discrete and integrated graphics controllers, letting OEMs build computer platforms and all-digital LCD monitors that are lower in cost, easier to use, and higher in bandwidth.
UDI also ups the performance ante over existing display standards. It also will maintain backward compatibility with DVI displays to pave the way toward completely replacing analog VGA as the PC display interface.
The companies involved in developing the standard include Apple, Intel, LG Electronics, National Semiconductor, Samsung, and Silicon Image.
For more information, visit http://www.udisigwebsite.com.