Although it's not the main issue, in an attempt to get back into the modern world, I've just read Wikki on HDMI. It was a 20 min read, with a plethora of references.
I can see why people get confused with interfacing kit, but as a T/V C&Guilds kid of the 50s, what I can't see is how so much of this stuff can be connected together without it smoking.