What we need in this standard is a way to pass volume control information in a standardised format, at present it is missing from the specification and hopefully it will be added later (there is unassigned bytes that could allow this to be included later).
Why do I think we need this. We will have DVD & CD players with HDMI interfaces, this information can be fed digitally directly from the disk to the sound processor. The weakest link in the audio chain is now when the data leaves the processor and goes to the amplifier, it means that any device interposed between the amp and the processor has to do A/D and D/A conversion which is undesirable. If the volume control information was in digital form further devices could be interposed such as equilizer, room correction, sound shaping etc without any losses. Furthermore with the advent of Class D power amps the information could be fed in digital form directly to the amplifier thus avoiding a further A/D conversion, it would present the purest signal to the speaker that is possible, given the constraints of the power amplifier of course.
All we need is a standard which includes volume information for the digital delivery of audio to amplifiers and we have a significant step forward in high end audio.
We live in exciting times.
