Home » Technology » What is HDMI CEC
Home » Technology » What is HDMI CEC

What is HDMI CEC

One remote for all your equipment — what is HDMI CEC, and how do you connect it?

If you have a whole set of media equipment at home, from a TV to a couple of players, you are familiar with finding the proper remote control. The solution to this problem is quite simple, and you may not even have to buy anything extra—all thanks to HDMI CEC technology on your TV.

HDMI CEC — What It Is and How It Works

Many are already familiar with the acronym HDMI, an interface that transmits data between various devices. Most people are familiar with HDMI because monitors are connected to PCs and consoles, DVD players are connected to TVs, and so on. However, few people know that the standard offers additional features, including CEC.

The HDMI-CEC function on your TV is designed to work with your AV devices using a single TV remote control. When you turn on the TV, the set-top box turns on automatically, and vice versa. When you turn off the TV power, the set-top box turns off. For this technology to work, devices must be connected via HDMI cable.>

The abbreviation stands for Consumer Electronics Control, a bidirectional bus that uses the AV Link protocol for remote device control.

An HDMI cable lets you transmit video, audio, and specific control commands to your TV, which we’ll discuss later.

How this is implemented: a standard 19-pin cable already has everything you need. Studying the pinout, you notice that the design has a pin (13) for CEC commands and all current connectors—Type A, C, and D.

What is HDMI CEC

CEC technology allows devices connected via HDMI to communicate with each other. This is why, in most cases, you can use only one remote control to control multiple multimedia devices.

How It Works

How it works — all components in the system are assigned addresses. By default, the display device (usually a TV) gets a base address of 0.0.0.0 and a logical address of 0.

Then, the TV sends a signal through all the HDMI interfaces and waits for a response. Depending on the port number, devices found are assigned a physical address, such as 1.0.0.0 or 2.0.0.0. The logical address is assigned according to the type of gadget (DVD, STB, AV, etc.).

The technology supports a multi-layer hierarchy so that a second-level tech will get 1.1.0.0, 1.2.0.0, and so on. If a device does not support CEC, it will not receive a logical address and will not be counted.

Once the polling is done, the TV will list all available HDMI-CEC-enabled devices. The standard allows 15 addresses to be distributed this way, but not all of them are used to connect devices.

Logical addressType
0TV
1Recording device 1
2Recording device 2
3Tuner 1
4Playback device 1
5Audio system (AV receiver or soundbar)
6Tuner 2
7Tuner 3
8Playback device 2
9Recording device 3
10Tuner 4
11Reproducing device 3
12Reserved
13Reserved
14Free use
15Broadcast mode

You cannot control over three playback devices with CEC or connect more than four gadgets with the tuner function.

There are other limitations as well. For example, suppose the system has identified a device as a playback device. In that case, the recorder functions will not be available, even if they are supported at the hardware level. Accordingly, the available functionality depends on which identifier (logical address) has been assigned to the gadget.

How to Use CEC — Requirements and Functionality

To use HDMI CEC on your TV, you must first check the connector specifications on your devices.

The CEC function works on all versions of HDMI from 1.0 to 2.1, but starting with the 1.3a standard, the number of supported commands has been expanded. For example, it is now possible to control the sound level for AV receivers.

That is why it always makes sense to use as new an interface as possible.

Since the controlling device is the TV, it should be declared as having HDMI CEC support.

However, this is where the main difficulty arises because cunning marketers call this technology by name to make their products unique. To make it easier for you to navigate, you can study this table:

  1. Vizio: CEC
  2. Sony: BRAVIA Link, BRAVIA Sync, Control for HDMI
  3. LG: SimpLink
  4. Samsung: Anynet+
  5. Panasonic: VIERA Link, HDAVI Control, EZ-Sync
  6. Sharp: Aquos Link
  7. Toshiba: CE-Link, Regza Link
  8. Philips: EasyLink
  9. Insignia: INlink
  10. Pioneer: Kuro Link
  11. Mitsubishi: NetCommand, Realink
  12. Thomson: T-Link
  13. Roku: 1-Touch Play
  14. AOC: E-link
  15. Funai, Sylvania, Emerson, Magnavox, Philips: Fun-Link
  16. Hitachi: HDMI-CEC

If your TV, media player, or other gadget has the above name in its specifications, it supports HDMI CEC. The Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One X consoles are also listed.

Both devices (controlling and controlled) must support the technology used in CEC commands. Despite the expected standard, sometimes not all declared commands work if the equipment is from different brands.

The HDMI-CEC specification specifies more than 50 different commands, including:

  • turning appliances on and off together, going to sleep;
  • control of individual devices with one remote control: playback, sound, file switching, activation of individual modes, etc;
  • selection of audio/video output, the possibility of automatic switching when changing the remote control to the controller and vice versa;
  • selection of menu items and the like.

You will be limited to the possibilities of your remote control, even if the technique supports the complete list of CEC commands.

How to Enable on your TV

You need to take two basic steps to operate a single remote-compatible device.

The first step is to activate the HDMI CEC on your TV. Look in General Settings under “Connections”, “Synchronization”, or “HDMI Settings”.

Now, you can control a whole set of equipment connected via HDMI CEC with a single remote control. You can use any remote control from a TV set or a set-top box. The only problem is that not all commands work due to different brands.

The HDMI 2.1 standard solves this problem. The developers declare that, regardless of the manufacturer, the entire list of commands should be perceived correctly, provided all equipment is connected through version 2.1.

Resolving Connection Problems

What do I do if HDMI CEC does not work even though all devices are documented to support it? There are several steps you can try:

  • Make sure you have the latest version of the software. Developers often fix compatibility bugs in new updates.
  • Make sure that the connector you are using supports CEC. Some HDMI connectors are not capable of CEC on a software level.
  • Try connecting your device directly to the TV. This applies to players that can connect through a receiver.
  • Make sure you have a certified cable. Fake HDMI can have fewer cores, preventing pin 13 from engaging and CEC from working.

With many media devices in your home, HDMI CEC on your TV is a great way to control everything with one remote. Setup is a couple of clicks, and most brands of TVs, media players, and receivers support the technology.

For example, use the TV remote control to power on or off our extras, change the volume, and control the interface. The TV’s HDMI-CEC has replaced our device’s power on/off function.

FAQ

HDMI CEC controls systems that are connected via HDMI. HDMI ARC is a special port on the main unit. You can connect a soundbar or speaker here and send sound to it from the main unit in good quality.

Does HDMI CEC Cause Input Lag? Contrary to popular misconception, HDMI CEC does not cause input lag while gaming because it has a separate channel to transmit electrical signals.

Although the CEC standard has existed since the introduction of HDMI, it was not immediately installed in all devices.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top