Uh oh – it appears that Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cables are unlicensed, so manufacturers have been selling illegal cables this whole time. This doesn’t bode well for Apple, but also for Toshiba, Dell and HP, who all use the port.
According to the HDMI Org firm that licenses cables, the Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cable falls out of HDMI spec, owing to it only having one HDMI Connector end. “The HDMI specification defines an HDMI cable as having only HDMI connectors on the ends. Anything else is not a licensed use of the specification and therefore, not allowed,” they told TechRadar, adding that “all HDMI products undergo compliance testing as defined by the Compliance Testing Specification. The CTS clearly defines necessary tests for all products defined in the HDMI Specification. Since this new cable product is undefined in the Specification, there are no tests associated with this product. It cannot be tested against the Specification.”
On one hand, it might be wise stocking up on the cable now just in case the HDMI Org can’t bend the rules for manufacturers, but considering Apple relies so heavily on the Mini DisplayPort – particularly after the introduction of Thunderbolt, which uses the same port – it’s not the wildest of guesses that this situation will be rectified shortly. There’s one nugget of good news, anyway – the cables with one Mini DisplayPort socket and a HDMI cradle on the other are legal, says the HDMI Org. [TechRadar]