• What is HDBaseT?
• Use Cases
• Specification
• Alliance Committees

HDBaseT 1.0 Specification

The HDBaseT 1.0 specification was finalized in June 2010. It is the first technology specification to enable 5Play convergence - video, audio, Internet, power and controls - and allow the home network to cut the cables down to one, all-inclusive, long-reach LAN cable using the standard RJ45 connector, commonly known for Ethernet LAN connections.

Video and audio

HDBaseT supports TV and PC video formats including standard, enhanced, high-definition and 3D video, and also supports all standard audio formats.

HDBaseT delivers Full HD/3D and 2K/4K uncompressed video to a network of devices or as a point-to-point connection. Uncompressed content supports all video sources, including legacy products, accurately renders gaming graphics and features such as electronic program guides (EPGs), and does not degrade video quality or add latency.

100BaseT Ethernet

HDBaseT supports 100Mb Ethernet capabilities, enabling televisions, hi-fi equipment, computers and other CE devices to communicate with each other and access multimedia content, including video, pictures and music stored around the house.

Power over cable

Sending power over the same CAT5e/6 cable gives people the option to forego plugging devices into the wall outlet for power, allowing greater mobility. HDBaseT can power remote TVs and other devices up to 100 watts.

Various control signals

HDBaseT delivers different types of control signals for different purposes, starting from CEC, to RS232/USB and IR that operate remote equipment even when located in a different room.

The Technology

HDBaseT uses an asymmetric method, sending video, audio, Ethernet and controls from source to sink, but only 100Mb are transferred back (Ethernet and controls). Unlike conventional data communication which is a symmetrical application by nature, with required a bit error rate (BER) of at least 10 to the minus 12, the asymmetric nature of HDBaseT is based on an innovative DSP engine and an AFE (Application Front End) architecture.

A special line coding scheme was developed to provide a better transfer quality to some kinds of data (audio, controls, Ethernet) without the need to 'pay' the protecting overhead for the video content which consumes most of the bandwidth.

HDBaseT also deals with video control signals and the reconstruction of video clocks. These elements are not part of the conventional LAN communication and require deep understanding of uncompressed video interconnects.

The barrier of transferring Full HD over UTP cable is high by any standards, with the additional aspect of video-specific expertise, which doesn't usually exist in classic UTP transceiver vendors. When combined with the special architecture required to achieve the target product cost, this creates a significant barrier for competitors.