HD ready

HD ready [ eɪtʃdi ɹɛdi ː ] (English " HD Ready " ) can produce is a created by the European Information, Communications and Consumer Electronics Technology Industry Association ( EICTA ) in early 2005 label for devices that high definition television ( HDTV). The "HD ready" logo is currently the only vendor-independent seal in Europe, which spreads its minimum configuration for HDTV equipment.

  • 2.1 copy protection
  • 2.2 Quality
  • 2.3 Self-certification

Requirements

A manufacturer must provide a display device with the "HD ready" logo when it

  • A native 16:9 resolution of at least 720 lines, has
  • Over ( at least) one YPbPr analog component input features,
  • (at least) has a HDCP encryption-capable digital input ( DVI-D/-I or HDMI) and
  • Through both inputs (each at 50 and 60 Hertz, unencrypted on digital and encrypted) Frames of 1280 × 720 pixels ( 720p) and
  • Fields of 1920 × 1080 pixels (1080i ) can assume.

The receiver remains unconsidered. Thus, the HDTV signal is from an external set- top box ( STB HD ) via the said inputs, which are designed as sockets, to the display part. On devices that combine in himself ( just like an analog antenna and cable television) screen and HDTV receiver ("HD IRD " ), the seal has only limited applicability. For these combined and pure receivers are also available from the EICTA defines the similar looking logo "HD TV".

Background

Before the introduction of the logo, there was with the HDCP copy two general problems:

  • Most display manufacturers competed for their devices, although with HDCP suitability, in the specifications or in the manual, however, was not noted.
  • Although output of device A to device B and input should support both HDCP, there was either no picture or picture noise, caused by problems in the implementation of HDCP.

This meant that the vehemently demanded by the rights holders HDCP capability of screens did not exist in fact.

These limits are designed to buyers apparently prepare for all eventualities, in order to strengthen confidence in the technology. The new logo will probably raise awareness: Who wants to look in the future high-definition television or video, needs a device with fitness HD-ready. This is also increased manufacturing costs are taken into account.

It is not sure if it will still be in Europe only 50 Hertz broadcasts and media, and both 720 - and 1080-line formats may be used. Therefore, the need to support four formats ( 720p50/60, 1080i50/60 ). The logo is so far often denied as HD - capable display devices advertised that either

  • Do not accept all formats listed above, although they could they represent physically sufficient or
  • Although all HD signals to evaluate, but they scale down their physical 16:9 resolution of less than 720 lines (see EDTV ).

Existing sources often use analog interfaces for transfer, but increasingly find use digital methods that make the potentially reduce quality digital-to- analog -to-digital conversion unnecessary, which is why the logo both presupposes. The next-generation HD STBs (DVB, HD DVD, blu -ray, game consoles, etc.) are expected for non- reduced quality images HDCP assume if appropriate DRM - control statements are present in the data stream (for example, the broadcast flag ). HDCP only works via digital interfaces. Many display devices with DVI input have not been equipped, inter alia, for reasons of cost with such copy protection support, but "HD ready " requires the ability to express. HDMI, the use of other, smaller connectors than DVI, but is protocol compatible with this, however, always requires HDCP.

The EICTA HDTV standards to go from analog component signals in either RGB or YPbPr encoding. The rights holders of the film industry but want these standards due to lack of copy protection by effectively circumvent HDCP. Therefore, one can find the new or planned deals on high-definition television or video content is often only in connection with the letters " HD " stands for " high definition " but not as "HDTV " offerings.

Costs and certification process

For 1000 euros ( in the first year 2000) a licensee is granted the right to be allowed to use the logo with up to three brands. Only the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that devices marked as effectively comply with the specifications. An examination by the EICTA does not take place, but third parties (eg journals ) apply the criteria for their tests to assist. There are already several times been known breaches of the license conditions, however, draw any penalties by themselves. Although it has not yet been brought before the courts, is to assume that a failure to satisfy the requirements associated with the seal of the customer entitled to withdraw.

Criticism

Copy protection

Copy Critics accuse the EICTA to want to do with the requirement of HDCP, the basis for its widespread adoption, which in turn provides the basis for Digital Rights Management (DRM).

Future reception and players will spend on other outputs (analog or unprotected digital) depending on the DRM specifications or no qualitatively reduced video and audio signals. This would get existing devices without HDCP who are not "HD ready" are so compliant, may lower signals than they can actually pose or in extreme cases, none at all.

The availability of display screen equipment with HDCP capability allows broadcasters to use a so-called broadcast flag for the activation of HDCP if the receiver a set- top box is available that can handle this signal. Thus, the German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere has its premiere HD linked in early 2006 called station offer to the condition that in addition to a ( susceptible to the broadcast flag) HD receiver with the "Premiere HD " certification for the video output, a TV with the HD - ready logo is required. The station was launched in May 2006 Anixe HD also uses the same control option like Premiere to bring about a broadcast flag Premiere HD-compatible receiver to activate the HDCP encryption and scale down the analog image output to PAL. The now-defunct back MPEG-2 HD channels Sat.1 HD and ProSieben HD 2006 still sent without HDCP - activation, but also received only rarely HDTV broadcast rights. The British pay-TV provider Sky HD offers HD channels, reduce the analog image outputs in their signal quality and enable HDCP.

Most devices currently sold with "HD ready" label are WXGA Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) with a resolution of 1280 × 720 or 1368 ± 8 × 768 pixels at 60 frames per second, the signals are interlaced (576i, 1080i ) must convert only.

The quality of this necessary deinterlacer is not set to " HD ready" neither for nor for the 1080i SDTV resolutions 576i50 and 480i60. Some critics think that this should have happened, since many devices reveal weaknesses here. However, this complex and subjective test method would require that are not easily verifiable as either met all other criteria or not.

The support frame signals with 1080 lines ( 1080p) and cinema typical 24 Hz or 25 Hz is not explicitly required (see also "Full HD Ready" ). It exists with progressive with segmented frames ( psF ) Although a to 1080i compatible method to transmit a frame as two fields with the same time index, but for the award of the logo is a recognition of this method based on progressive display devices, only the simplest form of deinterlacing ( Weaving ) is required, also not a requirement, so some compliant devices could perform unnecessarily complex interpolations, the lower the quality to improve instead.

Self-certification

It will not be checked regularly whether the manufacturer to comply with the required specifications. It thus does not correspond to independent seal of approval, but relies on self-control of the manufacturer and the customer as well as the trade press. The "HD ready " label has no official or even legal status. There are several manufacturers and distributors already noticed, the units with the "HD ready" logo is provided, which do not meet the required minimum standards.

Variant "HD ready 1080p "

EICTA has introduced an additional label on August 30, 2007. The new logo corresponds to the " HD ready " logo, and has a third row with the text " 1080p" extended. Many manufacturers have already introduced their own labels such as "Full HD", but since it EICTA believes are not "Full HD" (Full would be a finite term ), it was "HD ready 1080p ".

A manufacturer must provide a display device with the "HD ready 1080p " logo when it

  • Meets the requirements of the " HD ready" label and additional
  • A native 16:9 resolution of at least 1080 lines and 1920 columns, has
  • In addition, the format accepted via the digital inputs frames of 1920 × 1080 pixels (1080p ) at 50, 60 and additionally 24 Hertz and
  • Via the digital inputs offers a mode that displays 1080p images with pixel precision, ie, without the analog relic of the overscan display.
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