The HTC Evo 4G, which was another smartphone very similar to the upcoming Desire HD, is equiped with the HDMI-out feature. This allows for connecting the phone to an HD tv through an HDMI cable, and then viewing media stored on the phone, such as videos or pictures, on the hd tv. It allows for a maximum of 720p. With a little bit of modding, if I'm not mistaken, it's also possible to use the tv as an external monitor for the phone, meaning you could play games on the big screen. One of the downsides of the HDMI out is that you have to purchase a special and quite pricey Micro-D sized hdmi cable to be able to start streaming.
The new HTC Desire HD (which, by the way, could be said to be the European version of the Evo 4G), however, has been equipped with DLNA support. This means that the HDMI out was removed in this model. But what is the difference between the two solutions? The purpose of both is to stream HD material to an external TV, making the phones perfect for media lovers. A difference is that DLNA is wireless, which saves the user money because he dosen't have to buy a cable. Only certain high-end TVs have DLNA support, however. But HTC have thought of this and have developed a DLNA adapter, which one can connect to any tv giving it DLNA support. Another DLNA device, like a PS3, could alternative be used. So in the end, both HDMI and DLNA requires the user to pay in one way or the other. Both methods allow for streaming in 720p, but a final quality comparison can only be made once the Desire HD has been released (check the countdown on the top!).
Personally, I think that DLNA is a change for the better, because it allows for wireless streaming. I mean one less cable coming out of my TV is always welcome!. In the future we will probably see more cases like this, where cables are replaced by wireless alternatives, bringing us closer to a wireless world.
