It’s called now HDMI 2.1b Following the minor updates, the arrival of Spec brought new features, starting with video resolution and refresh rate. It supports 120 Hz 4K video (higher on certain PC graphics cards), 60 Hz 8K video, and even 10K video. The speedy refresh rate of HDMI 2.1B works mostly in games. Here we promote other advanced features such as VRR (variable refresh rate) for more liquid gameplay, as well as ALLM (auto-degrade mode) and QFT (quick frame transport) to reduce LATENCE. This SPEC also supports all high-bitrate audio formats, including DTS Master Audio, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, and more.
Other notable features announced in HDMI 2.1 include HDMI Earc for lossless high-resolution audio transmission between EARC support devices, and dynamic HDR support that allows HDR content to be optimized for video scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame frames.
Photo: Silkland
Before you worry about the ports you are using, there are some important things to keep in mind. Dolby Vision HDR distributed dynamic HDR over HDMI two years ago to compatible televisions via HDMI, as dynamic metadata is embedded in video and its rival HDR10+ can do the same thing. Similarly, HDMI Earc is available with HDMI 2.0, offering two HDMI 2.1 inputs and another HDMI EARC port, as shown on newer TVs with brands such as TCL and Hisense.
HDMI 2.1 is backwards compatible with older HDMI versions, but not all features are supported. You may also need to upgrade your HDMI cable for the required bandwidth and replace the ultra high resolution cable This way.
What are the new features in HDMI 2.2?
Supporting 8K and even 10K video (essentially absent by consumers) and all major high-resolution audio formats, HDMI 2.1B covers foreseeable future home theaters. This means you don’t have to worry about upgrading your HDMI 2.2 TV or audio device anytime soon.
Instead, the HDMI Forum is pitching new specifications for commercial applications and advanced consumer technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices. HDMI 2.2 upgrades bandwidth transmission rates once again. This time, we’ll double it from 48 Gbps to 96 Gbps, improving “demanding data-intensive, immersive, virtual applications.”
