Telly transmitters transformed for new formats

SILICON IMAGE e has just released what it reckons is the first range of High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) 1.3 transmitters and receivers.

The range is designed for the next generation of DVD players and HDTVs and will enable them to transmit and receive billions of colours instead of just a few million.

According to the outfit's press release, the product, dubbed the VastLane SiI 9133 transmitter, can be integrated into HD DVD and Blu-ray players and recorders. It will support new high-bit rate audio formats which make for a better sound signal too.

The big idea is that deep colour content can travel from a player or console via a SiI 9134 transmitter, over an HDMI cable, to a SiI 9133 receiver in an HDTV, through the SiI 7170 and SiI 7171 internal links, to the display panel glass.

The beast supports 30-bit and 36-bit colour depths (4:4:4 RGB or YCbCr), up from the 24-bit colour depths displayed in the current generation of HDTVs.

Although the press release talks much about next generation formats, it is clear that Silicon is basing much of its potential demand for the product on the PlayStation 3.

Dale Zimmerman, vice president of marketing at Silicon Image talks much about how the PS3 will render the highest-quality video ever seen in a consumer device.

Zimmerman says that the SiI 9133 receiver will match the capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and make it possible for HDTV manufacturers to ship products that are capable of displaying Deep Colour images. µ