There has been much confusion around the new 3D format among not just consumers, but also industry members. What do I need in order to demonstrate it to customers? And in turn, what do customers need to buy to get it at home?

Last week, I wrote a blog entry that covered the 10 Most Common Misconceptions about 3D. One point I confirmed is that you do require all new equipment, including a 3D-ready display, 3D-ready source player, and, if you have an A/V receiver in the setup, a model that supports the new HDMI 1.4 specification. Indeed, all of these are correct. However, two specific areas of contention lie with the cables and the receiver.

On the first point, do you need actual wire that supports HDMI 1.4? Or can existing "HDMI 1.3 cables" work just fine? According to spokespersons from HDMI Licensing, LLC, a previously-purchased HDMI cable should actually work just fine, provided it's labeled as "high-speed".

"There were two categories of cables before 1.4 was released," confirms the organization's representative. "Standard HDMI Cable and High Speed HDMI Cable. A 1.3 cable can mean either a Standard HDMI cable or High Speed HDMI cable. Since 1.4 was released, HDMI cables can no longer use the version numbers to market their products. As long as the cable is High Speed, the cable is capable of carrying the full 1080p 3D signals."

This means that what consumers (and retailers) need to look at is the speed rating, not the seemingly arbitrary specification number.

"As long as the cable the consumer owns is High Speed," she reiterates, "even if it is labeled as an ‘HDMI 1.3 High Speed' cable, the cable is capable of carrying the full 1080p 3D signals to a 3D-ready TV and 3D-ready Blu-ray player."

To the second point, what about an A/V receiver? Can a 3D signal be passed through one that doesn't boast HDMI 1.4? According to the HDMI Licensing spokesperson, it "may or may not pass through an AVR that's not built to the 1.4 spec, unless the AVR has a firmware upgrade."

That upgrade, however, is "a business decision by the AVR manufacturers whether and when to perform," she adds.

Note that regardless of whether you manage to pass a 3D signal through an A/V receiver built upon the 1.3 spec or not, all other products in the equation, like the display and the source player, most definitely must support HDMI 1.4, and thus 3D.

The news is bittersweet. On the one hand, this mean the lucrative add-on cable sale might not be necessary to allow customers to get 3D. But on the other hand, if you've already sold the client a brand spanking new home theatre system, complete with firmware upgradeable A/V receiver, this might just mean two fewer items you have to advise him to buy.

Article Tags:  cable, speed, receiver, cables, ready, customers, player, point, products, capable, carrying, signal, upgrade, firmware, standard, signals, 1080p, licensing, supports, source, display, specification, according, labeled, consumers, released,