HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is a feature of HDMI designed to allow devices connected to your TV through HDMI ports to communicate and control each other. It is a one-wire bidirectional serial bus that is based on the CENELEC standard AV.link protocol to perform remote control functions. CEC wiring is mandatory, although implementation of CEC in a product is optional. It was defined in HDMI Specification 1.0 and updated in HDMI 1.2, HDMI 1.2a, and HDMI 1.3a (which added timer and audio commands to the bus) .
The purpose of HDMI-CEC is to allow a single remote control or device to control other devices in a multimedia setup. It allows for both user-driven control of devices by remote control as well as automated actions performed by the devices on your behalf. HDMI-CEC makes it possible for you to control a Blu-ray player or streaming stick attached to your TV using your TV’s remote or vice versa so either remote can control the other device. HDMI-CEC allows devices connected to your TV through HDMI ports to communicate back and forth with your TV. The TV can have some control over the devices, and the devices can have some control over the TV.
CEC is not a requirement for all HDMI devices, but its included in almost all modern devices that use this port for output and input. The feature is part of the device itself, so you don't need a specific HDMI cable to take advantage of it. The functions that HDMI-CEC enables depend on the devices you're using, but in most cases, you can expect a few standard features such as power on/off, volume control, and mute. Manufacturers often call CEC by different names, including Anynet+ (Samsung), Aquos Link (Sharp), BRAVIA Link and BRAVIA Sync (Sony), HDMI-CEC (Hitachi), CE-Link and Regza Link (Toshiba), SimpLink (LG), HDAVI Control, EZ-Sync, and VIERA Link (Panasonic), EasyLink (Philips), and Realink for HDMI (Mitsubishi) .
