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Issue 1.0.2 28 March 2006 © Calibre UK Ltd Page 28 of 30
HDMI CONNECTION ADVICE
Vantage-HD has two HDMI input ports and one HDMI output fitted as standard. Two further HDMI
inputs can be fitted by installing an optional expansion module.
HDMI is essential for the connection of HDMI-only HDTV sources with HDCP encrypted video and
audio, such as HD-DVD, Blu-Ray and some HD Satellite/Cable services, however for SD applications
Calibre advises you read and carefully consider the information below to help you decide whether you
will get better performance in your own install by using component video or using HDMI.
HDMI was intended to be a universally compatible standard where all manufacturers' equipment would
seamlessly inter-operate. Unfortunately this is not the case. Due to the huge complexity of implementing the full
HDMI-HDCP protocol and associated software and firmware, there are a wide range of products on the market
which are technically "compliant" but which do not actually inter-operate reliably. This is further exacerbated by
the strictness of the HDMI standard which has led many equipment manufacturers to try to implement work-
arounds so as to ensure those products are actually able to perform the functions which their users need and
demand. This has unfortunately led to even more incompatibility issues. Many later HDMI systems are better, but
there are still many issues with many well-know brands of equipment.
Typically, HDMI compatibility and limitation issues manifest themselves in the following ways:
i) Loss of audio, or corrupted/distorted audio.
ii) Loss of picture and audio or "HDCP patterns" on the screen.
iii) Freezing of the HDMI source or the HDMI display.
iv) Long HDMI-HDCP handshake periods when a new source is selected.
v) Inability to access the native output format of your DVD player through its HDMI output channel.
These are common issues with HDMI equipment which affect may different products in different ways, they do
not particularly relate to Calibre's HDMI implementation but in order to try to ease the effects of (i), (ii) & (iii),
Vantage-HD has been designed with two different HDMI operating modes available for selection via its
Configuration Menu:
Possible modes are:
i) "Repeater” in which the operation mode is set by the HDMI display, whereby Vantage-HD operates as an
HDMI Repeater, relaying audio configuration information from the connected HDMI display back to the HDMI
sources.
This mode should ONLY be used when an HDMI display is being used AND the audio capability of
that HDMI display is also being used. In this mode, the maximum number of audio channels will be
determined by the HDMI display's capabilities.
DO NOT use this mode if you do not have an audio-capable HDMI display connected or if you wish to
connect an audio processor or amplifier to the S/PDIF Coaxial or Optical audio outputs of Vantage-HD.
Incorrect use of this mode can lead to total loss of all HDMI audio from the HDMI inputs, or the
audio may be inadvertently limited to 2 channels when multi-channel audio is desired.
ii) “Receiver” where Vantage-HD’s own capabilities are readable by the HDMI source equipment. In this mode
Vantage-HD appears to the HDMI source equipment to be a display. The capabilities of the HDMI display
device, if connected, are not relayed back to the sources.
This mode should ONLY be used when either (a) the HDMI output is not being used or (b) the HDMI
output is being used for video only and a separate audio output connection has been made
DO NOT use this mode if you wish to use the audio capability of the HDMI output. Incorrect use of
this mode can lead to the HDMI audio output format being incompatible with the connected display,
leading to loss of audio or distorted audio.