Describe your organisation and its core responsibilities
HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA) is the agent appointed by the HDMI Forum to license version 2.x of the HDMI Specification, the current version right now is HDMI Specification 2.2, and is the agent appointed by the HDMI Founders to license all earlier HDMI Specifications. We provide marketing, promotional, licensing, compliance and administrative services, as well as education on the benefits of the HDMI Specification to adopters, retailers, and consumers.
Where do you focus within the TV ecosystem?
With almost a billion HDMI-enabled devices shipping every year it is our mission to make sure the HDMI Ecosystem of connected devices is supported with compliant and licensed products that provide a seamless and interoperable experience. We also focus on being the primary source of trusted information on the features and benefits of HDMI® technology.
What major shifts are currently shaping the television industry from your perspective?
Evolutionary technology changes are happening at a pace never experienced before – from the first stages of production all the way through media distribution and end-user consumption. Coupled with the transition to cloud and software processes are the changes in the display technologies that deliver even better picture, sound and immersive experiences. This puts more demand and higher expectations for seamless interplay within our ecosystems.
What is the biggest challenge the industry needs to address over the next five years?
All the associated industry sectors need to endeavour to get out front and lead before they are overtaken by the technology itself. There is always a degree of reaction and scrambling in business, but now it is essential to realise the enormous opportunities these changes enable even if it means revenue models need to change drastically and new ways to look at our businesses are required. Lagging behind is more dangerous than ever as things move so fast it is difficult to catch up.
What opportunity excites you most right now in the evolution of television?
Our point of view is driven by HDMI technology and its constant evolution to meet current and future demand for the next “wow” in entertainment. The specification’s support for the highest bandwidths, resolutions and refresh rates and picture quality, along with support for the highest audio quality, opens a world of new possibilities for experiencing movies, TV shows, gaming, sports, and creator content.
What role does collaboration and industry coordination play in solving the challenges and driving new innovative solutions?
We cannot operate successfully by isolating ourselves in a bubble. All of our endeavors are interconnected, and our successes are dependent on each other. It is up to us to drive a seamless and trouble-free ecosystem by developing our next steps in innovations and bringing them to market in a thoughtful manner. Actually, that sounds like the mission of DTG!
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