https://DevOpsCloud.io -- Cloud Monk Losang Jinpa, Ph.D., MCSE/MCT, GitOps DevOps Engineer

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a proprietary digital interface used to transmit high-quality video and audio signals between devices. It is commonly used to connect devices such as televisions, computer monitors, projectors, gaming consoles, and personal computers. HDMI supports uncompressed video and either compressed or uncompressed digital audio, allowing a single cable to carry both signals.

Introduced in 2003, HDMI largely replaced older analog video standards such as composite video, S-Video, and VGA in consumer electronics. It was developed based on the CEA-861 standard, which was also used with the earlier Digital Visual Interface (DVI). HDMI is electrically compatible with DVI video signals, and adapters allow interoperability between the two without signal conversion or loss of quality. Adapters and active converters are also available for connecting HDMI to other video interfaces, including the older analog formats, as well as digital formats such as DisplayPort.

HDMI has gone through multiple revisions since its introduction, with each version adding new features while maintaining backward compatibility. In addition to transmitting audio and video, HDMI also supports data transmission for features such as Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), which allows devices to control each other through a single remote, and the HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC), which enables network connectivity between compatible devices. It also supports the Display Data Channel (DDC), used for automatic configuration between source devices and displays. Newer versions include advanced capabilities such as 3D video, higher resolutions, expanded color spaces, and the Audio Return Channel (ARC), which allows audio to be sent from a display back to an audio system over the same HDMI cable. Smaller connector types, Mini and Micro HDMI, were also introduced for use with compact devices like camcorders and tablets.

As of January 2021, nearly 10 billion HDMI-enabled devices have been sold worldwide, making it one of the most widely adopted audio/video interfaces in consumer electronics.