HDMI

            HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a compact audio/video interface for transferring video and audio data from a HDMI-compliant device  to a computer monitor,video projector, digital television, or a device which is supported (contains HDMI port). HDMI is a digital interface, it provides the best quality of the video (observable while working with 1080p or higher then that resolution ) since there are no lossy analog to digital conversions as are required for all analog connections 

                                  In 2011, the HDMI Founders: Hitachi, Panasonic Corporation, Philips, Sony, Technicolor, Toshiba, and Silicon Image, created the HDMI Forum to guide future iterations of the technology. Approximately 60 of the largest consumer electronics, PC and semiconductor companies are now working together under HDMI Specification.

HDMI has major versions which are as mentioned below:

• HDMI 1.1
• Support for DVD Audio.
• HDMI 1.2
•  Support for One Bit Audio format
• HDMI 1.2a
• Creation of version 1.2a of the HDMI Compliance Test Specification (CTS), which includes a CEC (Consumer Electronic Control) Supplement.
• HDMI 1.3
• increased bandwidth (10.2 Gbps) to support the demands of future HD display devices
• it supports 10-bit, 12-bit and 16-bit (RGB or YCbCr) color depths
• HDMI 1.3 adds support for “x.v.Color™” 

all HDMI versions are fully backward compatible with all previous versions. 

reference:

1.  www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/faq.aspx

2. wikipedia.org