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Expert Installers on HDMI 1.3

The success of HDMI 1.3 will be directly tied to the success of HD DVD and Blu-ray. If everyone catches the upgrade bug for the new look and sound of high-def media, 1.3 will play a key part in the new product mix. Providing that the incompatibilities that plagued HDMI in the past are corrected in the manufacturers' implementations of HDMI 1.3, I look forward to its introduction. Sean Greer Experience AV Home Theater Montrose, CO

For consumers, HDMI 1.3 is the start of a new viewing experience since all the sources feeding your TV can remain in their highest native resolution, providing crisp, clear video and multichannel sound. For installers, it could be the answer to the multitude of cables currently needed to connect a display. Once the gear is certified and tested to properly work together, handshaking between two units should provide a simple, reliable connection. John Tamburello Burello Sound New York, NY

High-def sound is finally catching up to high-def video, and it's about time! HDMI 1.3's support of the lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio formats will allow installers to add high-rez sound to the 1080p-format images on HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc, thanks to A/V receivers with HDMI upconverting and switching capabilities. I'm sure there will be some incompatibility issues, but that's okay - I like to play with "bugs" anyway. John Chance The Home Theater Connection Staten Island, NY

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