High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is an advanced audio/video connector interface for transmitting uncompressed, encrypted digital streams. HDMI connects DRM-enforcing digital audio/video sources, such as a set-top box, a Blu-Ray Disc player, a PC running Windows Vista, a video game console, or an AV receiver, to a compatible digital audio device and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV). HDMI began to appear in 2006 on prosumer HDTV camcorders and high-end digital still cameras.

It represents the DRM alternative to consumer analog standards such as RF (coaxial cable), composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video and VGA, and digital standards such as DVI (DVI-D and DVI-I).

HDMI supports any TV or PC video format, including standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It is independent of the various DTV standards such as ATSC, and DVB (-T,-S,-C), as these are encapsulations of the MPEG movie data streams, which are passed off to a decoder, and output as uncompressed video data on HDMI. HDMI encodes the video data into TMDS for transmission digitally over HDMI.

The short videos are able to show how this changes the quality of audio and video with less cable management troubles.

 

The advantage of using HDMI cables (as opposed to Composite and Component cables)

 

 

A comparison of video quality between usage of Composite, Component, and HDMI cables.