News

Meridian Card Supports HDMI (5/1/2004)

VE12 card gives Reference Series the latest in digital audio/video interfacing

Meridian Audio Limited, the Cambridge, UK based leader in consumer digital audio systems, introduces a new card, the VE12, for their acclaimed 800 DVD player, centerpiece of the company's flagship 800 Series components. The card plugs into the card frame in the 800 player and adds HDMI digital audio/video interfacing, as well as progressive video with Faroudja DCDi de-interlacing.

The VE12 supports the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), which carries standard, enhanced or high-definition digital video and digital audio down the same digital cable, without compression. The VE12 is HDMI Phase 1 compliant, and provides a wide selection of high-definition video formats, including 480i, 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. Also supported are two channels of PCM digital audio or bitstream formats corresponding to all the audio formats available for DVD-Video, including Dolby Digital and DTS.

The video processing available on the card allows scaling and aspect ratio adjustment, including automatic sensing of disc flags. The digital image is pixel-mapped to the display and includes native-rate scaling, in which a dialogue occurs between the card and the display, enabling the card to deliver a signal that is specific to the display system in use, for the ultimate in digital video performance without artifacts. Content is protected by means of the HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) system developed for DVI by the Intel Corporation.

The VE12 card also offers broadcast-quality progressive component analog video outputs on three BNC connectors, with up to 480p maximum resolution. The outputs incorporate Faroudja DCDi technology, which provides per-pixel motion-adaptive de-interlacing to allow highest quality, artifact-free component video performance without the need for an external line-doubler.

The card can be installed in the field in any existing 800 player and will be available in March 2004. The card has an MSRP of $1295.

www.meridian-audio.com