What are the advantages of HDMI over existing video interfaces such as composite, S-Video and component video:
Quality: HDMI is a digital interface, and since all connections require no loss when converting from to digital, it provides the best video quality. This difference is at higher resolutions. Digital video will be sharper than component video, eliminating the softness and smearing found in component video. Small, high-contrast details such as text bring out the difference to the extreme.
Ease of use: HDMI integrates video and multi-channel audio in a single cable, thereby eliminating the cost, complexity and confusion of multiple cables used in current A/V systems. This is especially useful when upgrading or adding equipment.
High intelligence: HDMI supports two-way communication between video source and DTV, realizing new functions, such as automatic configuration and one-key playback. By using HDMI, the device automatically transmits the most efficient format for the connected display, saving the consumer the trouble of scrolling through all the format options in order to guess the best viewing format.
High-Definition Content Ready: HDCP-enabled HDMI devices will be able to access advanced high-definition content now and in the future. HD-DVD and Blu-ray have delayed the activation of the image content protection flag for today's high-definition movies to help minimize potential problems due to conversion, but the flag is expected to be activated within a few years, meaning that future high-definition HD movies will not play in high definition over an unprotected interface.
