HDMI has certainly taken hold in the consumer AV space and component video connection -- despite its merits and supporters -- is in decline. Looking around at the back of a receiver, you might think that small, high density connectors used for digital signals are just better, right? Not necessarily -- consider the rearTwist BNC connectors Neutrik is bringing to the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show for 1080p HD/SDI (serial digital interface) use by pros. That's good-old coax design, specced out to 4.5GHz, with a kind of in-field reliability that our beloved HDMI connectors can only dream of. We're not bashing HDMI -- it's now mature, has lots of nice features and puts great performance within the reach of lots of people. Also, discrete coax connections like these Neutrik connectors are too pricey for consumer gear; but don't be fooled into thinking that the move to HDMI was all about performance, either.

In a bit of PS3 news that sprouted legs this weekend, the U.S. Playstation website has confirmed that Sony's upcoming console will not include an HDMI cable in the box. Naturally this sparked a firestorm of controversy over what even the $600-variant would be able to do and by how much this increases the price. Of course most of our readers know that you can easily find HDMI cables on the net for as little as $5-$10 plus shipping, that will transmit the encrypted digital signals to your television without a problem. As evidenced by the reactionary postings across the net, many gamers don't, much less casual shoppers who might want to buy the PS3 as a gift this holiday season who have only seen the heavily marked up $50-$100 HDMI cables prominently displayed at most big box electronics retailers. Even if money isn't an issue (and if you're buying a PS3 either it isn't or we're you're living on ramen to afford one), most don't know if they need it. If you own a 1080p TV that accepts a 1080p input, then yes, it's the only way you'll get movies at that resolution although some would argue whether that is necessary. Despite Phil Harrison's "1080p is the only true definition of HD" statement, Sony knows that only a small number of HDTV owners have that setup and opted to save a few bucks by leaving the cable out. Analog 1080p for gaming is certainly possible but not many TVs support that either. While the lack of the cable probably isn't that big of a deal, if Sony is going to advertise the "Full HD" capabilities of their machine you'd think they would make sure you can use it that way right out of the box, instead many buyers will be confused and possibly gouged by retailers selling expensive accessories.

[Via Joystiq]

Ok fess up, who requested another digital interface for video and audio content? Since UDI, HDMI & DVI weren't complicated enough, VESA has come out with their own digital connector to replace VGA, DisplayPort. They originally announced it a year ago, but it is now ready to go, the only question is does anyone care?

This article from Digitimes breaks down the challenges DisplayPort faces and what (few) benefits it offers. Unlike DVI/HDMI/UDI, it isn't backwards compatible with anything. If you replace your PC, DVD player TV or monitor with a DisplayPort device you'll have to replace anything connected to it. It also has it's own content protection scheme, much like HDCP, but once again not compatible.

We don't really see this standard taking off with no backwards compatibility (however this release from Dell/HP/Lenovo indicates it is "possible" to have legacy compatibility with DVI 1.0) and both high definition DVD formats using a different copy protection format. With its only apparent advantage being a lack of licensing fees, is there a space for DisplayPort?