The latest update to the HDMI specification will allow for resolutions up to 10K, along with support for Dynamic HDR and higher frame rates.
High frame rate video at 120fps will be supported at 4K, 5K, 8K and 10K resolutions thanks to an updated cable delivering bandwidth of up to 48Gbps. Dynamic HDR support is also set to improve picture quality beyond the standard of HDR10, which applies processing only once for an entire program.
“Movies and other content will be able to take advantage of HDR’s expanded contrast ranges, brightness levels, and heightened levels of detail-and now have them optimized on a scene-by-scene or even a frameby-frame basis,” the HDMI Forum said.
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The HDMI Forum, comprised of major manufacturers that collaborate to develop the HDMI specification, announced the range of new features as it prepares for future technology.
A wider colour gamut is compatible with HDMI 2.1. Up to 16-bit colour is supported, significantly beyond the capabilities of any consumer display currently available.
Game Mode VRR is a new feature to HDMI, and will allow for a “more fluid and better detailed gameplay experience” according to the HDMI Forum. The new feature includes support for variable refresh rates, and is also able to reduce screen tearing and input lag while playing games.
Unlike some earlier updates to the HDMI specification, HDMI 2.1 will require the purchase of new cables to take advantage of all of the new features. The cables will be identical in appearance to existing HDMI cables, which could potentially cause confusion similar to the initial release of 4K.
The new HDMI 2.1 cables will be backwards compatible with all previous specifications. Existing HDMI high-speed cables with ethernet support will also be able to experience a limited amount of the new features.
HDMI 2.1 will be released in Q2 2017, but manufacturers are not expected to release new products supporting the specification for some time.
