HDMI AV Acronyms – Complete Glossary
Aug 15, 2025
HDMI & AV Acronyms – Complete Glossary
Bookmark this glossary to decode common HDMI & AV terms—ideal for installers, engineers, and buyers comparing cable specs, video formats, and device compatibility.
HDMI Core Acronyms
- HDMI
- High-Definition Multimedia Interface.
- TMDS
- Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (legacy HDMI PHY through 2.0).
- FRL
- Fixed Rate Link (HDMI 2.1 PHY up to 48 Gbps).
- DDC
- Display Data Channel (I²C control bus used for EDID/HDCP).
- EDID
- Extended Display Identification Data (sink capabilities).
- CEC
- Consumer Electronics Control (single-wire device control).
- ARC
- Audio Return Channel (HDMI 1.4 upstream audio).
- eARC
- Enhanced ARC (HDMI 2.1, higher bandwidth, mandatory lip-sync).
- HDCP
- High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (link authentication/encryption).
- DSC
- Display Stream Compression (visually lossless compression).
- VRR
- Variable Refresh Rate (reduces tearing/stutter).
- QFT
- Quick Frame Transport (reduces transport latency).
- QMS
- Quick Media Switching (mode changes without blackout).
- HEC
- HDMI Ethernet Channel.
- CTS
- Compliance Test Specification (HDMI LA certification).
- VSIF
- Vendor Specific InfoFrame (e.g., Dolby Vision signaling).
- AVI InfoFrame
- Auxiliary Video Information (aspect ratio, colorimetry).
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Video & HDR Acronyms
- SD
- Standard Definition (480i/576i).
- HD
- High Definition (720p/1080i).
- FHD
- Full High Definition (1080p).
- UHD
- Ultra High Definition (4K/8K).
- SDR
- Standard Dynamic Range.
- HDR
- High Dynamic Range.
- HDR10
- HDR with static metadata (CEA-861.3).
- HDR10+
- HDR with dynamic metadata (SMPTE ST 2094-40).
- HLG
- Hybrid Log-Gamma (broadcast HDR).
- PQ
- Perceptual Quantizer (SMPTE ST-2084 EOTF).
- EOTF
- Electro-Optical Transfer Function.
- BT.709
- ITU-R Rec.709 color space (HD).
- BT.2020
- ITU-R Rec.2020 wide color gamut (UHD).
- BT.2100
- ITU-R HDR framework (PQ/HLG).
- FPS
- Frames Per Second.
- 4:4:4 / 4:2:2 / 4:2:0
- Chroma subsampling ratios.
Looking for HDR-ready wiring? Check HDMI Extenders and Fiber HDMI (AOC).
Audio Acronyms
- LPCM
- Linear Pulse-Code Modulation (uncompressed).
- PCM
- Pulse-Code Modulation.
- DD
- Dolby Digital.
- DD+
- Dolby Digital Plus.
- TrueHD
- Dolby TrueHD (lossless).
- Atmos
- Dolby Atmos (object-based audio).
- DTS
- Digital Theater Systems codec family.
- DTS-HD MA
- DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless).
- DTS:X
- Object-based DTS format.
- AAC
- Advanced Audio Coding.
- MP3
- MPEG-1 Audio Layer III.
- WMA
- Windows Media Audio.
- IEC 60958
- Digital audio interface framing (HDMI base).
- IEC 61937
- Compressed audio over PCM encapsulation.
For eARC-friendly cables and adapters, see HDMI Audio/Video Adapters.
Broadcast & Professional AV
- SDI
- Serial Digital Interface (broadcast video).
- HD-SDI / 3G-SDI / 6G-SDI / 12G-SDI
- SDI generations (up to 12 Gbit/s for 4K60).
- NDI
- Network Device Interface (IP video over LAN).
- SMPTE
- Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
- IPTV
- Internet Protocol Television.
- OTT
- Over-The-Top streaming.
- AVR
- Audio/Video Receiver.
- AVoIP
- Audio-Video over IP.
Explore AV over IP solutions for scalable distribution.
Codecs & Compression
- MPEG
- Moving Picture Experts Group.
- MPEG-2
- Legacy digital TV/DVD video compression.
- AVC (H.264)
- Advanced Video Coding.
- HEVC (H.265)
- High Efficiency Video Coding.
- VVC (H.266)
- Versatile Video Coding.
- AV1
- AOMedia Video 1 (royalty-free).
- VP9
- Google video codec (YouTube).
- CBR
- Constant Bit Rate.
- VBR
- Variable Bit Rate.
Need help choosing the right cable for your codec/bit-rate? Talk to our team.
Related Interfaces
- VGA
- Video Graphics Array (analog PC video).
- DVI
- Digital Visual Interface (TMDS-based, no audio).
- DP
- DisplayPort (PC-centric digital video interface).
- USB-C Alt Mode
- Display/video tunneling over USB-C.
- MHL
- Mobile High-Definition Link.
- Thunderbolt
- High-speed I/O (video + data + power).
- AOC
- Active Optical Cable (electro-optical HDMI cable).
- EMI
- Electromagnetic Interference.
Shop DisplayPort cables and USB-C video cables.
Testing & Signal Integrity
- SNR
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio.
- BER
- Bit Error Rate.
- Jitter
- Timing variation in digital signals.
- Eye Diagram
- Oscilloscope visualization of signal quality.
- EMC
- Electromagnetic Compatibility.
- GUI
- Graphical User Interface.
- GPU
- Graphics Processing Unit.
- LAN / WAN
- Local / Wide Area Network.
- IP
- Internet Protocol.
For long-run installs, see Active Optical HDMI or Cat6/HDBaseT Extenders.
Quick FAQ
What is FRL in HDMI 2.1?
FRL is the HDMI 2.1 physical layer enabling up to 48 Gbps for 4K120, 8K60, and advanced HDR workflows.
ARC vs eARC—why it matters?
eARC supports higher-bandwidth audio (e.g., Dolby TrueHD/Atmos) with mandatory lip-sync, improving home theater reliability.
Which HDR formats should I prioritize?
HDR10 is baseline; HDR10+ adds dynamic metadata; HLG targets broadcast; PQ (ST-2084) defines the HDR EOTF used by HDR10/10+.
Ready to build your setup? Start with our HDMI cables, add an HDMI splitter/switch, or extend reach with HDMI extenders. For larger projects, browse AVoIP and fiber HDMI.
