TMDS channel

The Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) channel:

• Carries video, audio, and auxiliary data via one of three modes called the Video Data Period, the Data Island Period, and the Control Period. During the Video Data Period, the pixels of an active video line are transmitted. During the Data Island period (which occurs during the horizontal and vertical blanking intervals), audio and auxiliary data are transmitted within a series of packets. The Control Period occurs between Video and Data Island periods.
• Signaling method: Formerly according to DVI 1.0 spec. Single-link (Type A HDMI) or dual-link (Type B HDMI).
• Video pixel rate: 25 MHz to 340 MHz (Type A, as of 1.3) or to 680 MHz (Type B). Video formats with rates below 25 MHz (e.g. 13.5 MHz for 480i/NTSC) are transmitted using a pixel-repetition scheme. From 24 to 48 bits per pixel can be transferred, regardless of rate. Supports 1080p at rates up to 120 Hz and WQSXGA.^[4]
• Pixel encodings: RGB 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:4:4 (8–16 bits per component); YCbCr 4:2:2 (12 bits per component)
• Audio sample rates: 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz.
• Audio channels: up to 8.
• Audio streams: any IEC61937-compliant stream, including high bitrate (lossless) streams (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio).

Consumer Electronics Control channel

The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) channel is optional to implement, but wiring is mandatory. The channel:

• Uses the industry standard AV Link protocol.
• Used for remote control functions.
• One-wire bidirectional serial bus.
• Defined in HDMI Specification 1.0, updated in HDMI 1.2a, and again in 1.3a (added timer and audio commands).

This feature is used in two ways:

• To allow the user to command and control multiple CEC-enabled boxes with one remote control, and
• To allow individual CEC-enabled boxes to command and control each other, without user intervention.

An example of the latter is to allow the DVD player, when the drawer closes with a disk, to command the TV and the intervening A/V Receiver (all with CEC) to power-up, select the appropriate HDMI ports, and auto-negotiate the proper video mode and audio mode. No remote control command is needed. Similarly, this type of equipment can be programmed to return to sleep mode when the movie ends, perhaps by checking the real-time clock. For example, if it is later than 11:00 p.m., and the user does not specifically command the systems with the remote control, then the systems all turn off at the command from the DVD player.

Alternative names for CEC are Anynet (Samsung), Aquos Link (Sharp), BRAVIA Theatre Sync (Sony), Regza Link (Toshiba), RIHD (Onkyo), Simplink (LG) and Viera Link/EZ-Sync (Panasonic/JVC).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI