Author Topic: HDMI control interface support and Pandora  (Read 4829 times)

colinjones

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HDMI control interface support and Pandora
« on: August 29, 2007, 09:47:56 pm »
Any chance the control channel for HDMI can be added to the roadmap? With more and more displays and amps supporting this, it seems the most convenient way to control the display and AV components whilst sending audio and video digitally...

Also, a rather more specific request - does anybody know if Pandora are likely to release a Linux version of their applet and whether that might be integrated?

jeff_rigby

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Re: HDMI control interface support and Pandora
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2007, 01:56:17 pm »
I just purchased a Samsung HLT-5689 LED DLP tv and was interested to note that the documentation included information on controlling the TV via the RS-232 port and control of the TV via the HDMI 1.3a port.

They did include enough information for a programmer to figure out how to talk to the TV thru the RS-232 port (word and checksums) but they did not include any information on HDMI control.  It seems that as the previous person noted that HDMI 1.3 support includes control of the device.


colinjones

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Re: HDMI control interface support and Pandora
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2007, 03:03:04 pm »
Jeff - the control interface channel on HDMI is standardised. So basic control should be the same for whatever device the channel passes through. I assume the intent is you implement a standard "driver" for HDMI control interfaces for your OS, and the control would be performed by an API rather than directly through a protocol implementation allowing control for any device through HDMI.

1audio

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Re: HDMI control interface support and Pandora
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2007, 07:08:08 am »
The current generation of "standardized" CEC control is anything but. HDMI and Simplay are working to get it under control BUT the big TV guys are not very interested in interoperability, they would rather sell one-brand systems.

The broader availability of RS232 control is great to hear. I may need to get a new display soon.

colinjones

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Re: HDMI control interface support and Pandora
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2007, 08:47:01 am »
Sorry 1audio, should have been more specific, I meant at the data link layer - that is completely standardised... it has to be because that defines the positioning inside the multiplexed channels so that the channel can be read (or ignored as the case maybe!) - at the higher layers I have no idea how things are going (the actual content of the channel), but it doesn't surprise me to hear you say that there isn't anything yet, or the reasons you give for that!

Either way, it doesn't change the original thrust of what I was getting at. As long as the HDMI driver allows you access to (meaning multiplexes and demultiplexes that channel - raw) the CEC, theoretically you could control anything you like by layering an implementation of the TV specific application/presentation layer over the top. Hardly ideal from a standardisation point of view, but in principle at least, no different than setting up other custom devices such as 232... all that is still dependent on my other comment about DCERouter allowing this driver to be used to send/receive messages like any other device ... I'm assuming that DCERouter implements the same for 232 with a soft Ethernet->Com port bridge? Is that how it works, or is it more agnostic on the device interface (not limited to Ether)?