The HDMI Organization has announced that the HDMI to Mini DisplayPort cables are unlicensed and should not be sold. The organization are also requesting the cables be recalled and its manufacturing stopped. The Mini DisplayPort is used by Apple throughout its line of systems, together with other manufacturers like Toshiba.
According to the HDMI LLC’s Director of Marketing Charlene Wan, cables that doesn’t include HDMI connectors violate the specification. “The HDMI specification defines an HDMI cable as having ONLY HDMI connectors on the ends,” she said. “Anything else is not a licensed use of the specification and therefore, not allowed.”
This includes Apple’s HDMI to Mini DisplayPort cables, which are sold by Belkin on their website. Similar cables are also sold by PC OEMs.
“It is true that companies that make and sell cables that have a DisplayPort male connector on one end and an HDMI male connector on the other end have been told that this product is unlicensed and cannot be sold,” Wan said.
Talking about the product’s recall, Wan said: “There is no official recall demanded by HDMI LLC since we don’t make products but license the Spec. It is up to the Adopters for what they need to do. It is illegal to make and sell non compliant products. HDMI LLC has the right to demand all retailers and channels to remove any and all non complaint products from the shelves but haven’t done so. Adopters who make/sell non complaint products are considered to be in breach of the Adopter Agreement and can be terminated and thus lose their rights to make/sell HDMI products.”
Wan said that if people want to connect a product that has a DisplayPort out to an HDTV, they need to buy a dongle that has a DisplayPort in and an HDMI out.
via: T3
