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Consolidate video, audio and data streams into a single HDMI cable, combining the convenience of HDMI connectivity with the power and flexibility of home entertainment networking.

As more and more consumer electronics products (TV / Receivers Set Top Boxes etc.) will require network connectivity, with HDMI 1.4 ethernet cables will no longer be required resulting in less cabling and easier setup.

Send audio data ‘upstream’ from a TV to an AV receiver or surround audio controller, eliminating the need for any separate S/PDIF audio connection.

With information able to flow in both directions the need for separate input and output connections is further reduced, meaning less cables and easier setup.

Establish critical infrastructure for implementing 3D video in the home, defining input/output protocols that will allow 3D displays and source devices to communicate through an HDMI link.

When TVs are developed with 3D capability HDMI 1.4 will allow 3D movies to be viewed at home on the television.

While RGB is still the dominant colour space in most video applications, other colour models are gaining popularity. Version 1.4 of the HDMI specification adds support for three additional colour spaces enabling manufacturers to deliver better and more accurate colour to users when they view their digital photos on an HDTV.

Colour depth is a measurement of the number of bits used to represent the amount of possible colours available to display a single pixel. The greater the colour depth, the more colours are available resulting in more lifelike colour in the images displayed.

The HDMI 1.4 specification adds support for extremely high video resolutions that go far beyond todays 1080p systems. 4K x 2K is shorthand for 4,000 lines wide by 2,000 lines high, or roughly four times the resolution of a 1080p display.

4K x 2K displays will put high-end home theatre systems on a par with the state-of-the-art Digital Cinema projectors used in many commercial movie theatres.