The Sinclair QL Forum

Nasta wrote:On the other hand, is there a 50Hz version of 1024x768 VESA?

No, the nearest standardized refesh rates are 43 Hz interlaced and 60 Hz.

Nasta wrote:HDMI - transmitter chips that do not have content protection (so no royalties) can still be found.

I'm curious. Have not seen a way to legally get around paying the fee. Implementing content protection reduces the fee, but still not affordable.

The trick is to look for DVI transmitters rather than HDMI, there is still compatibility but the resolutions are 'limited' to 1080P.
Look at the Ti TFP410

Either a cheap (Dixons/Currys) 24" LCD TV via a home-made SCART cable (RGB), assisted by a battery to tell the TV to switch to RGB mode.

Or a 14" Ferguson TX RGB TV via the 7-pin DIN input.

Peter wrote: I'm curious. Have not seen a way to legally get around paying the fee. Implementing content protection reduces the fee, but still not affordable.

I don't know whether the Spectrum Next has managed to get around paying the fee - but there is always the chance that they would forego it if you approach the body behind HDMI and explain the purpose of the project and whether it is going to be profit making.

Some solutions get around it by using the PiZero to provide HDMI output - Ben Versteeg uses this in his ZX-HD video adaptor - initially he got around licensing by not supplying the Pi Zero itself, but I understand that he has managed to reach some sort of agreement where he can now include the Pi Zero without paying the HDMI license fee.

Nasta wrote:The trick is to look for DVI transmitters rather than HDMI, there is still compatibility but the resolutions are 'limited' to 1080P. Look at the Ti TFP410

Can't see what difference that chip would make to directly using an FPGA. As soon as you make a device with HDMI output connector, it is no longer DVI.

RWAP wrote:I don't know whether the Spectrum Next has managed to get around paying the fee [...]

In a £723,390 project, the HDMI fee becomes reasonable.

RWAP wrote:Some solutions get around it by using the PiZero to provide HDMI output - Ben Versteeg uses this in his ZX-HD video adaptor - initially he got around licensing by not supplying the Pi Zero itself, but I understand that he has managed to reach some sort of agreement where he can now include the Pi Zero without paying the HDMI license fee.

I still read "!! Comes without Raspberry Pi Zero !!Read the Easy Assembly kit paragraph underneath for more info"

As soon as you separately add a Raspberry Pi Zero, you can as well separately add a VGA-HDMI adaptor. And the latter is easier to obtain.

Well, you have to sort-of be a lawyer.
HDMI.org is being tricky because the infrastructure is based around the connector. So you can't put one on your product even if you use it for a parallel port without paying the license, and in fact you will pay more if it's NOT labeled HDMI as they consider the logo an ad.
However, you can use DVI or DisplayPort, though the connectors are more finicky, DVI being a lot bigger and DisplayPort not being that common yet - however, there are simple and cheap cable adapters. And, BTW it's the adapter cable manufacturer that has to pay the fee, so you are off the hook.

Where it gets really nasty is that if you use the HDMI connector and you're below the 10,000 unit $10,000/yr + 15c/unit (5c/unit if you use the HDMI logo) level, they have a low volume license that is $5,000/yr and 15c/unit.

If we include something that has paid the fee and we're just bundled with it, or we also can avoid the fee if it's a non-retail sale. FOR SALE, ONE HDMI CABLE*

*free computer with every cable!

Question is, who would drop a dime on us if we used HDMI?