When HDMI 2.1 Isn’t HDMI 2.1

HDMI 2.1 is a connection interface standard widely adopted on new graphics cards, displays, games consoles and other devices; allowing support for improved bandwidths, resolutions, refresh rates and features. It’s promoted by manufacturers, often as one of the leading items in their spec.

TFT Central looks at what the “HDMI 2.1” term really means, and addresses a worries in the market. They delve in to what is required for this certification and what that means to the consumer buying something labelled with HDMI 2.1.

The capabilities and features are things not previously possible with older HDMI standards like v2.0, or at least not in the more mainstream way they are supported now with v2.1. They include:

  1. Support for much higher bandwidths than older generations, allowing for…
  2. Support for higher resolutions – including 4K and even up to 8K
  3. Support for the combination of 4K and 120Hz high refresh rate (including at 10-bit, HDR and without colour compression)
  4. Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support
  5. ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) support

So these are all things most people probably expect an HDMI 2.1 display to support, and it is fair to say these would be the benefits they expect to have available to them when buying a display with HDMI 2.1 advertised. Sadly, it isn’t nearly as simple as that.

Read all the details at TFT Central and How to Buy an HDMI 2.1 Display and a Real HDMI 2.1 Cable.

 


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1 Comment

  1. Oh no. They learned the wrong lesson from the USB IF: rebranding old capabilities as just a profile of the new spec name/version…

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