A group of companies that includes Intel Corp. and NVIDIA Corp. announced that it was developing a new standard for connecting displays to personal computers and servers. The new standard will be based on High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology and will be compatible with next-generation consumer electronics (CE). The initiative will compete with DisplayPort technology, a standard proposed earlier by another industry group that also includes NVIDIA Corp.

UDI will be able to use High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology widely deployed in HDMI-compatible products today. As a result, host platforms with UDI connectors will be able to plug into monitors and HDMI-equipped display devices including HDTVs with full content-use rights management and high-definition video compatibility.

UDI offers a number of performance and cost improvements over existing display standards, according to the group of developers. It also will maintain backward compatibility with DVI displays to pave the way toward completely replacing analog VGA as the PC display interface.

These improvements include the added flexibility of accommodating proven high-bandwidth technology based on PCI Express and HDMI’s transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS); use of a small, lower cost connector with optional locking retention; and, ongoing oversight of a working group that will actively administer and revise the UDI specification to meet changing market needs.

UDI will provide a universal video connection from the computer host to the display, including PC and notebook monitors, HDTVs and projectors. For PC and monitor makers, UDI is intended to enable easy integration with both discrete and integrated graphics controllers, letting OEMs build computer platforms and all-digital LCD monitors that are lower in cost, easier to use and higher in bandwidth.

Principal members of the special interest group (SIG) include Apple, Intel Corp., LG Electronics, National Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics and Silicon Image Inc. Joining the SIG as contributors are graphics chip maker NVIDIA Corp., semiconductor manufacturer THine Electronics Inc., and cable and connector makers FCI, Foxconn Electronics Inc. and JAE Electronics Inc.

UDI SIG members are seeking more industry participants to help validate and refine the display interface specification, which is currently in revision 0.8. The UDI SIG expects to have the specification completed (version 1.0) in the second quarter of 2006.