“Most of us who use HDTV with several sources such as DVD players and satellite boxes have been wondering why it takes so long to switch from one source to another or even just change TV channels. Sometimes we may have even thought the wrong button had been pressed on the remote control because it takes so long for the new channel to show up on the screen. Well, with Silicon Image’s new InstaPort™ technology, time between changing sources has been reduced from more than 5 seconds to less than 1. This will mean less frustration and confusion, and happier TV watching. It looks like one major HDTV annoyance has been solved beautifully.”
John E. Johnson, Jr.
Editor-in-Chief
Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
What is InstaPort™ technology?
As a wide range of HDMI®-equipped Blu-ray Disc™ players, set top boxes, PCs, mobile devices and game consoles proliferate the market, consumers are simultaneously connecting more source devices to their DTVs via HDMI ports. The viewer typically switches between these connected sources using the “input” button on the TV remote control. When consumers select the next input, they expect that source material to appear on screen immediately without delay. With HDMI, this is not always the case because when a new HDMI source is selected, the DTV and the source device perform an HDCP authorization check which can take four to seven seconds.
InstaPort technology solves this problem. Typically, when a source device is connected to the TV, the HDCP authorization process is not initialized until that source is selected as the input to be displayed on the DTV. However, DTVs that support InstaPort technology perform the HDCP authorization routine immediately upon connecting the device. Then when a user selects that source, it will begin to stream the content immediately—often within 1 second—without waiting for HDCP authentication.
How will consumers benefit from InstaPort technology?
InstaPort technology enables immediate access to content by reducing HDMI port switching time. Consumers will no longer experience a four to seven second delay when switching between source devices connected to their DTVs.
What type of CE devices will benefit from InstaPort technology?
InstaPort technology is designed for DTVs, audio/video receivers (AVRs) and HDMI switches with multiple HDMI input ports. Many DTVs available today include anywhere from three to seven HDMI ports on the rear, side and/or front panels.
As popular HDMI-equipped source devices like the Roku Box, Apple TV, portable media players, and smart phones become mainstream additions to conventional devices like Blu-ray Disc™ players and cable set top boxes, DTVs and A/V receivers will continue to increase the number of HDMI ports. InstaPort technology has become a must-have feature for the DTV consumer with an average four to five source devices connected via HDMI inputs.
Why is there an inherent delay in switching between HDMI ports?
HDMI uses HDCP encryption to secure the transmission of premium, high-definition digital content over a serial digital interface. When a device is selected as the HDMI input source, the HDMI transmitter semiconductor exchanges secure keys with the HDMI receiver semiconductor to authenticate the connection. Content begins streaming to the DTV only after the source and sink devices are validated and a secure connection is established. Depending on the manufacturers’ implementation of this firmware and key handshake, this can take anywhere from four to seven seconds.
How does InstaPort technology solve the delay problem?
InstaPort technology allows the DTV to perform simultaneous background HDCP authentication with all connected source devices as soon as they are connected to the DTV. When a new input source is selected by the viewer, the HDCP authentication scheme has already been performed and the newly selected source can begin streaming content immediately. The time required to switch between HDMI inputs is reduced to as fast as a single-second.
Is InstaPort technology compatible with legacy HDMI source devices?
Yes, in fact many older HDMI-equipped source devices take longer to authenticate than newer devices. InstaPort technology in the DTV will make port switching uniform across all connected HDMI source devices.
What Silicon Image products feature InstaPort technology?
Port Processors Silicon Image’s SiI9389 port processor includes five HDMI 1.4 inputs with second generation InstaPort S technology. Port processors are active components that add multiple HDMI inputs to a DTV or AVR. Port processors output TMDS directly to the integrated HDMI inputs in DTV SoCs, allowing manufacturers to differentiate their products by instead focusing their R&D efforts on video processing and other proprietary advantages. The SiI9389 also supports Mobile HD technology, allowing mobile devices to be connected directly to a SiI9389-equipped DTV without a dock or dongle, with auto detection of HDMI or Mobile HD source devices in the hardware.
Input Processors Silicon Image’s SiI9251 input processor includes four HDMI 1.3 inputs plus four analog inputs, with InstaPort technology supported on the HDMI ports. By managing all of the input interfaces into the DTV, Silicon Image input processors allow manufacturers the ability to add new features to their HDTV platforms quickly and cost-effectively without requiring a lengthy and costly redesign of their proprietary video processor. Input processors also offer innovations in legacy analog video inputs with high-quality 12-bit state-of-the-art ADCs and AVI interfaces and Silicon Image’s new InstaPort technology for instant switching between input ports.
SiI9251 Input Processor
SiI9389 Port Processor