The standard defines color codes for home theater systems with up to 12.2 audio channels as well as digital, composite and component video connections. The previous standard allowed for only 5.1channels.
The revised standard is designed to provide installers – whether professional or consumer – with consistent information on home theater set-up. Ensuring home theater systems are even easier to install, the new standard also incorporates diagrams depicting recommended speaker locations for up to 14 speakers to ensure optimal performance.
“Standards may be written by engineers but their end products are for consumers,” said Ralph Justus, vice president of CEA’s Technology & Standards Department. “The Home Theater Color Coding standard is an example of how valuable standards are at the end of the day for customer adoption, ease-of-use and for making a ‘must have’ product. The CEA Technology & Standards Department strives to publish standards that grow the consumer electronics (CE) industry and make products more accessible to the average user. This new standard tackles both objectives head-on.”
CEA leads technology manufacturers in fostering CE industry growth by developing industry standards and technical specifications that enable new products to come to market and encourage interoperability with existing devices. CEA maintains an unmatched reputation as a credible and flexible standards making body and has earned American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation.
Through more than 70 committees, subcommittees and working groups, the CEA Technology and Standards Program provides a unique and efficient forum where technical professionals throughout the industry develop a unified technology roadmap and address technical issues critical to CE industry growth. For information about CEA Technology & Standards or to get involved, visit www.ce.org/standards.
Copies of the new standard for home theater color-coding (CEA-863-A) are available from Global Engineering Documents at http://global.ihs.com .
