HDMI Licensing, LLC, the group responsible for overseeing the HDMI standard, announced this week the release of specification version HDMI 1.4a featuring key enhancements for 3DTV.

The High-Definition Multi-media Interface (HDMI) is an audio/video interface used by the consumers electronics industry to transmit digital video and audio signals from your cable set top box, DVD player or satellite receiver to your high definition television.

The latest HDMI Specification features the addition of two more mandatory 3D formats for broadcast content called “Side-by-Side Horizontal’ and “Top-and-Bottom”.

The group says that mandatory formats facilitates interoperability among home theatre devices, allowing them to speak a common 3D language when transmitting and receiving 3D content.

The mandatory 3D formats are:

    * For movie content: Frame Packing – 1080p @ 23.98/24Hz
    * For game content: Frame Packing – 720p @ 50 or 59.94/60Hz
    * For broadcast content: Side-by-Side Horizontal – 1080i @ 50 or 59.94/60Hz
    * Top-and-Bottom – 720p @ 50 or 59.94/60Hz and 1080p @ 23.97/24Hz

In addition, the group has made it mandatory for all displays, content sources (i.e./ Blu-ray and media players) and repeaters (i.e. switching devices) must support all mandatory formats for v1.4a certification.