New HDMI Spec Promises Better Color, Sound

High-definition content already looks good, but this winter it could look even better. Silicon Image announced an update to its popular HDMI spec. HDMI 1.3 promises increased color depth (up to 48-bit RGB), which "may be beyond the sensitivity of the human eye," according to Silicon Image Director of Marketing Joseph C. Lee.

The new spec also could make your HD devices sound better, adding support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master audio formats. Other changes, currently less obvious, could make a different with future technology. HDMI 1.3 will support more bandwidth, increased refresh rates, and the next-generation xvYCC color standard. Lees says that this new color standard will be useful for LED backlighting in TVs; LED backlights are known for enabling a wide color gamut.

One high-profile product with HDMI 1.3 is the upcoming PlayStation 3, currently slated for mid-November. Keep your eyes peeled, though. Lee says, "You'll hear a lot about it at CES," the Consumer Electronics Show that takes place in Las Vegas in January.