Digital home appliance compatibility issues

With the continuous evolution of TVs, players, amplifiers and digital TV systems, the current mainstream home theater equipment has been very different from previous years, not only the operation becomes more convenient, more user-friendly, picture quality and sound quality. Also in the new era, have you already begun to enjoy the audio-visual experience brought by HDMI, CEC, BD, DLNA, EPG, and high-definition digital TV? Let us briefly look at the advanced features of the current mainstream appliances.

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Digital home appliance trend

First, the transmission interface

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia InteRFace)

At present, HDMI, which has achieved a leading position in the terminal specification warfare, can be easily seen by ordinary users. Compared with traditional color difference terminals, the color difference terminal requires three video lines and two audio source lines. It takes five lines and connects 10 connectors at both ends. If you switch to HDMI, you only need one line, and the two connectors will be fixed. Of course, HDMI not only combines digital sound and video on one line, but also successfully beautifies the annoying lines on the back of the TV. With the increasing popularity of devices supporting HDMI interfaces, the more functions that this digital interface can provide. The more complete, the CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) control signal is one of the most exciting projects at present. With this function, it is easy to simultaneously press one or two buttons with only one remote control. Controls the main functions of TVs, players, amplifiers, etc. Many audio and video products currently on the market already support CEC functions, but the average consumer may not be able to understand the convenience that CEC functions can bring us if they do not read the manual carefully:

When the user turns on the power of the player, the TV and the amplifier will automatically turn on the power.

When the user turns off the power of the TV, the player and amplifier will automatically turn off the power.

When the user presses the player's play button, the TV automatically switches to the corresponding input position.

When the user presses the sound switch of the television, the sound can be switched between the TV output and the output of the amplifier.

When the user turns off the amplifier, the sound is automatically switched to the TV output.

The amplifier can automatically determine the type of program currently coming from the TV or the player, and automatically select the corresponding sound field mode. In addition, CEC also provides a lot of convenient small functions. Through these functions, users can save a lot of troubles, concentrate on enjoying audio-visual content instead of full-fledged operation logic, and let children, year The elders are easy to get started, and they are able to operate these complex new generation digital home theater equipment.

The HDMI architecture has three data transmission channels, each data channel transmits 10bit data length. Before version 1.3, it can support up to 24bit color depth per Pixel (8bit converted to 10bit DC balanced). After version 1.3, it supports 24, 30, 36, 48 Color. Depth, there is also a Clock channel, and CEC is taking the DDC channel of the I2C specification.

Network

A new generation of home appliances has integrated network functions into home theaters. You can connect your TV, player, or video recorder to the network. Some brands of TVs even have built-in browsers. Users can use TV directly. Or through the TV to access the on-demand video provided by the industry, online viewing, television systems in some countries to promote the function of two-way interactive TV, users can directly participate in the question and answer of the guessing program through the network, singing the voting of the game program, Registration for travel shows, order placement for shopping channels, etc. Of course, these features have been simplified to just a few buttons with the remote control.

The functions provided by the network are not just that. Through DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology, some vendors have already provided the function of network sharing, turning home storage devices such as personal computers, video recorders and players into DMS. (Digital Media Server), and use TV or audio system as DMP (Digital Media Player), through the network, every member of the family can directly share photos, music, and even high-quality digital program images. That is to say, only one DMS in the home is responsible for recording or storing work, and other members can easily enjoy the content shared by the DMS by simply accessing it through DMP.

USB

At present, some TV manufacturers have also integrated the most popular transmission interface USB or card reader in the current computer specifications into the TV, and added the functions of playing pictures, videos and music in the function menu of the TV. When users want to use the TV to view photos, there is no need to take a computer to connect to the TV. Just connect the camera to the TV with a USB port, or take the memory card and plug it into the TV. You can use the built-in features of the TV to view photos. This is a very convenient feature, but there are not many TV manufacturers that support this technology. Also note that the USB slot on some TV sets is not for users to browse files, but for firmware updates. Some manufacturers will provide new firmware for home appliances on the official website for users to download and update. The user can download the firmware using the computer network, store it in the USB flash drive, and insert the TV to update the firmware.

Second, HD digital content

Currently in Taiwan, in addition to the traditional wireless three and the fairly popular fourth, many families have begun to watch digital TV, including 15 wireless digital TVs and public television HIHD, telecom operators' MOD, and others. Foreign satellites, such as China's high-definition satellites, Japan's BS/CS satellites. Consumers most often complain about buying a new TV, but they don’t feel the obvious improvement in picture quality. Most of the situation is because the TV system they watch does not follow the upgrade, so many players It began to pursue more economical viewing and higher quality.
Wireless digital 15 and HIHD

This is a completely free digital TV system that users can watch for free with a TV with DVB digital TV decoding or a digital set-top box, including 15 480p channels and 1 1080i channel and 1 digital audio transmission channel. Among them, HIHD, which was launched by public television on May 15, 2008, is the first free high-definition digital channel in Taiwan, which plays at 16:9 with a resolution of 1080 i, although the other 15 The picture quality is still in the 480 i stage, which is equivalent to the DVD quality, but it can be said that the picture is clear and clean compared to the traditional analog fourth and wireless three. However, the current construction and policy issues have caused this system to have his problems. The old TV and digital set-top boxes may support 15 wireless numbers, but they do not support the high-definition HIHD that appears later. Therefore, if you want to view HIHD, you must update it. Digital set-top boxes, in addition to looking at the whole island, the coverage and stability of wireless digital 15 and HIHD signals have yet to be strengthened, and they are easily affected by weather or motorcycle locomotives on the road. If this system is to be installed, the safer method is First check if the home location already has a signal.

The domestic digital TV electronic program form EPG seems to have much room for improvement compared to the EPG of foreign digital TV.

MOD (Multimedia on Demand)

MOD is a network media platform, which is applied to the TV media system, allowing users to connect to the server directly through the network, and select the programs to watch, watch them on-demand, do not watch the program schedule, and other programs, and do not use the video. In addition, it has the advantage of being unaffected by the weather, allowing users to easily watch programs on Typhoon Day. Because it is built on the network itself, the interaction is more flexible, and even there are plans to develop online games. Under the authority of 89 yuan per month, you can watch 14 sets for free, and 3 of them also provide HD quality programs. If the user wants to see more content, they can purchase other channels or programs through an additional payment contract. Although there are many programs that are the same as the traditional fourth and wireless digital 15 units, the MOD is a closed line of the industry, so the flexibility of the whole system is much more free than the public wireless digital radio waves. There are more and more program types and services generated.

Overseas satellite

The progress of TV sets is common in the world, but the progress of TV broadcasting systems is different in different countries. When users discover the current TV programs, they cannot let the new TVs play the high-definition audio and video functions they should have. Enthusiasts can't wait for the development of domestic digital high-definition TV systems, and first step into the embrace of overseas satellite viewing. This popular customary voice is also divided into Taiwan's BS/CS satellites and Hong Kong cable satellites. And the mainland's CCTV HD satellite is the mainstream. Among them, the BS/CS satellite is currently the most popular type of satellite reception in Taiwan. If you walk in the audio-visual street of Bo'ai Road, you can see that the Japanese professional baseball or landscape programs with excellent picture quality are mostly broadcasted by BS satellite. .

BS satellite provides 12 channels, of which BS1 and BS2 are 480 i program channels, and the other 10 are 1080 i high-definition channels, deducting 2 movie channels for additional fees, free 1080 i high-definition channels 8 of them, including many free broadcasts or video broadcasts of international sports events, such as the Premier League, J1, MLB, NBA, NFL, Japanese professional baseball, Japanese professional basketball, big sumo and many well-known global tourist scenery programs. and many more. With the full termination of analog signal transmission in Japan in 2011, the digital BS will recover the bandwidth of the analog BS. It is expected to provide more channels in October 2011. In addition, the BS provides data delivery functions and a perfect one-week program. The function of the EPG allows users to easily search and pre-record the programs they want without having to turn the newspapers. In North Taiwan, it is only necessary to use a disk with a diameter of 60 to 90 cm to receive the BS. It can be very stable, and normal rain can also be viewed normally. However, in the event of a typhoon, there may be difficulties in viewing.

After all, BS/CS is Japan's satellite TV system. International events such as the Olympic Games will of course be broadcasted with the Japanese team as the highest priority, and the programs are almost all Japanese-oriented, although some users believe that sports events are listening to English or Japanese. There is no problem with the broadcast. Many landscape programs do not need to be narrated, and occasionally Taiwanese Mandarin dramas are broadcast on the BS in 1080i high quality. However, some users have to install the BS after installing the BS because of the language barrier. Or converted to Hong Kong satellites or mainland CCTV satellites. After all, Chinese-based channels are more friendly in Taiwan. At present, CCTV satellites in mainland China can be viewed for free for up to 36 units. There is one free 1080i channel, which mainly broadcasts Chinese landscape geography programs. There are many HD channels available for the channel. Installing CCTV satellites in Northern Taiwan requires a disk with a diameter of 120-150 cm to be stable.

Electronic program form EPG provided by overseas digital satellite TV

Blu-ray Disc

If you are not interested in these TV shows, it doesn't matter, you can enjoy the high-quality and high-quality sound of the new generation of home theaters through Blu-ray Disc. With the competition of the new generation storage media BD and HDDVD, Almost sure that the next step is the world of BD Blu-ray Disc. To provide higher picture quality, basically it is necessary to have higher storage capacity. The capacity of DVD single layer 4GB can not be compared with the capacity of Blu-ray single-layer 25GB. It can also be easily understood by the capacity. The CD can provide more than six times the quality of the DVD. The 1080p Blu-ray movie disc has gradually made many users no longer willing to pay for the purchase or rental of DVD movies. The current market can be said to be the take-off stage of the Blu-ray Dynasty. Potential.

The core of digital audio-visual equipment - TV

The maturity of LCD TVs, the popularity of prices, the mainstream status of Blu-ray discs, the introduction of CEC and DLNA technologies, and the multi-selectivity of digital TV broadcasting systems, 2009 can be said to be worth investing in home audio-visual equipment. One year, but how do you buy a good TV? In fact, it is not a high price. Choosing a TV set depends on the individual's needs. If you want to watch it in the room, then 32 is actually a good choice. If you want to watch it in the living room, then 40吋The above models will be a better choice. The next step depends on whether you have plans to upgrade the source. If you plan to watch 1080i TV broadcasts or 1080p Blu-ray movies, then the TV must have TVs that support 1080p or Full HD can fully play the highest picture quality. If you choose TV with 32吋 or smaller, you don't need to stick to Full HD, as long as HD Ready is indicated, 1366x768 The actual image quality can also reduce and play back 1080i or 1080p images. Since the 32-inch panel itself is small, the exquisiteness of the entire viewing will not make you feel good enough. On the contrary, if the TV is 40吋 or more, only The physical resolution of 1366x768 often makes people feel that the picture is not detailed enough, so it is recommended to buy a 1920x1080 physical resolution model.

In addition, the input terminals supported by the TV, no matter the type and quantity, should be as good as possible, especially the HDMI terminal. At present, some personal computers have built-in HDMI output functions in addition to the VGA terminal, which is compatible with high quality. The TV panel can be used as a computer screen. If you add a wireless keyboard and mouse, you can easily sit on the sofa and use the TV as a computer screen. No matter the Internet, playing Game is a A new enjoyment! If there are models with more HDMI terminals in the same price range, it will also be the focus of choice. Almost all of the mid-range positioning TVs on the market currently support the input of three sets of HDMI. In North America, TV sets in the European market currently have few built-in network functions. Most of them are Japanese TV sets. This part of the Taiwan market is mostly followed by the US market. If you want to get it in one place, or There are plans to install BS satellites. Then, TVs that purchase Japanese TVs directly can be said to be a good choice. Some brands of Japanese TVs not only support DLNA, but also USB terminals can directly browse photos in the camera, but also have more Good graphics engine and panel technology, but the price is not necessarily higher than that of Taiwanese companies. However, the operation menu of the Japanese interface needs to be explored by itself. If you want to watch the fourth station at the same time, you must buy one to watch the fourth. The set-top box of the Taiwanese is relatively simple. It is to buy a DVD or HDD recorder. It can be responsible for watching and recording the fourth program. However, after all, there is a potential problem in the maintenance of the parallel problem. When purchasing, you must first repair it with the store. Part of the consultation is clear and understand your rights. Regardless of whether the audiovisual plan in your home is large or small, you can compare and compare before purchasing audio-visual equipment. It is an important part to avoid buying equipment that is too poorly used or that is too high in specification.

Compatibility issues caused by a wide variety of products

Constantly introducing new technologies and transmission interfaces, although it can give users a better audio-visual experience, but it also leads to more compatibility problems. A good manufacturer should take responsibility and deal with compatibility issues before mass production, instead of letting the product first be sold to the market, allowing users to find problems and complaining about customer complaints as a clue to engineering improvement. But unfortunately, many manufacturers ignore the importance of compatibility issues, which causes this phenomenon to happen constantly. If you are used to browsing some websites discussed by video players, it is not difficult to find that such phenomena can be said to be endless, and such phenomena are often Leading consumers to extreme disappointment and distrust of the product and the label itself.

Modern audio-visual appliances are equipped with new and old transmission interfaces, and there are many types of connection devices, which lead to compatibility problems.

Judging whether the quality of an audio-visual home appliance product is not all judged by its own stable function, it must also consider compatibility with other products, because almost all new-generation home appliances are inevitable and other products. Do a mix. A new generation of home theater equipment such as TVs, players, and amplifiers has added a lot of functions. Some of these features are exclusively developed technologies. Some of them are based on the same specification, and each manufacturer interprets the developed functions. These features are inevitably accompanied by so-called compatibility issues. For example, if a TV of a manufacturer is equipped with a player of a B manufacturer, it may happen that the TV cannot be automatically turned on by CEC or the player cannot be automatically turned off by CEC, if a C manufacturer is added. If you expand the machine, you may see more uncoordinated problems. Smart readers may feel that if you want to avoid this kind of problem, you can avoid it by choosing the same manufacturer's products, but in the actual test experience, even the same manufacturer's products have many compatibility. The problem exists. For example, the player listed by A manufacturer in 2007 is equipped with a TV set listed by A manufacturer in 2008. It seems that there is no problem in the environment, but it can find many functional incompatibility.


In the actual test experience, our common compatibility problems are incompatible with CEC functions. For example, both devices support CEC, but many CEC functions cannot operate normally. InteRFace's incompatibility, for example, color difference or AV terminal connected to two devices, there are no pictures and sounds, and devices that support 1080p signals, but can not choose 1080p mode, and even some game consoles and TV connections In and out of the game, you will see a serious noise, while hearing an unacceptable momentary break, of course, the TV connected to the PC part of the screen can not be displayed, or can not display normal, the display is out of range and so on.
Compatibility problems occur without complicated steps or procedures, often in the simplest usage habits, and the complex part of the test is the simulation of the real environment. The following are compatibility issues seen in real-world environments:

Consumers are the biggest victims of this type of compatibility. If there is a combination of devices from different vendors, there is usually no manufacturer who thinks it is their own problem. Consumers can only accept and avoid using them. Simply change a machine. If it happens on the same manufacturer's product, it is very likely that you will only get an old or new incompatibility or sorry answer. Because the products already on the market, it is impossible to update the firmware for some specific functions. This is not because the manufacturer is lazy, but because the logic of the firmware is quite complicated, and the modification of small places may make the original problem-free. The main function has problems, so in general, unless there is a situation in which the main function is not perfect, the manufacturers of home appliances will not do the update after the listing. Therefore, between the development phase and the mass production phase, it is the golden time to find compatibility issues. If at this stage, through testing, and user operation habit simulation, to find significant compatibility issues, then there are Time can seek a solution, which is also the common practice of the world's big manufacturers.

Compatibility testing is a test concept with unlimited possibilities. He does not connect the two machines together as the outside world thinks. It is so simple to try it on. Because the same TV, as long as it is sold to the hands of consumers, it may be connected with video recorders, players, and amplifiers of different brands and different brands, and the connection method is divided into traditional AV terminals. S terminal, color difference terminal, to the current popular HDMI terminal, the connection method is also different, maybe the player is connected to the TV first, the TV is connected to the amplifier, or the player can be connected to the amplifier, and the amplifier is connected to the TV. There may be more than one player or video recorder. Combining these possibilities becomes an almost infinite test plan. Such a huge project can be said to be the most insured, but at the same time it is the least efficient. Practice, because in the stage of product development, every second counts, it is almost impossible to have time and manpower to invest in the testing process of such a method of steelmaking.

Professional home appliance compatibility testing will be based on market orientation, product age, product country, and major functional differences to determine the most efficient test range. The test content will also be based on the user's easiest function. Instead of a carpet-like full scan, his goal is to test efficiently, using the least amount of time to find 90% of the problem, rather than using the longest time to find 100% of the problem. This is also a positive practice for identifying the problem between the product development stage and the mass production stage, taking the time to maximize efficiency, further solving and improving the quality of the product.

As far as the test experience of Allion has been over 15 years, it is necessary to be able to fully confirm the compatibility of the products. The most important thing is the environmental preparation. In addition to the various household appliances of different countries and brands, we must be able to Planning technical capabilities for different compatibility tests over a limited time period. If a manufacturer wants to perform a compatibility test on its own, in addition to spending a large amount of money to purchase various equipment, it takes more effort to train professional testers. Vendors who are recommended to perform compatibility testing can entrust a fair third-party testing lab to get twice the result with half the effort for testing, and secondly to get a credible quality endorsement.

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