HDMI 2.1 is Coming, Here’s What You Need to Know

HDMI 2.1 is Coming, Here’s What You Need to Know​

(HDMI Forum)(December 31, 2017) The AV industry has thrown enthusiasts quite a few curveballs over the last four years, introducing a bevy of new technologies that have forced wallets to open and systems to endure major overhauls. If you’ve had the stomach (not to mention the coin) to keep pace, then you’re undoubtedly experiencing some of the best audio and video innovations since the introduction of Blu-ray.

While 2017 was a rather tame year from a new tech perspective, 2018 is primed to introduce yet another exciting performance enhancer: HDMI 2.1. Think of it as a beautiful rose with a few nasty thorns that are sure to cause some grumbling. Fun, right? Today, we’ll quickly run down the benefits of HDMI 2.1 and answer a few questions about the potential impact of the technology in your home.


Why HDMI 2.1?
You might find this hard to fathom, but the current HDMI 2.0a standard and its 18 Gbps bandwidth capacity has been taken to the limit by 4K 60Hz video, High Dynamic Range (HDR), wide color, and the glorious multichannel experience of immersive sound. The information highway that runs from your preferred 4K UHD player or AVR to your 4K display is beginning to look like rush hour on the Capital Beltway: jammed to the hilt. In order for the AV industry to continue to innovate and improve performance a new roadway needs to be laid. That roadway is HDMI 2.1.

HDMI 2.1 is designed to deliver a whopping 48Gbps, nearly tripling the capacity of HDMI 2.0a, opening the door to mind blowing performance that both gamers and home theater enthusiasts are sure to love. Resolution-wise, the new specification allows for uncompressed video at 4K 120Hz and 8K 60Hz, with support for 10K 60Hz and 120Hz. Video also receives a Dolby Vision-esque boost in both the color and detail departments, with Dynamic HDR that guarantees every frame is optimized for depth, brightness, contrast, and wide-color (including 16-bit BT.2020).

Gamers will appreciate HDMI 2.1’s ability to eliminate lag and screen tearing through the use of Variable Refresh Rate and Quick Frame Transport. And home theater enthusiasts will surely enjoy the loss of those annoying dead screens that appear when switching between sources or changing display settings while using a 4K source, in addition to the promise of automatic lip syncing between displays and sources.

Another interesting improvement is eARC. The current HDMI standard already allows for compressed audio to be shared between a television and an AVR or soundbar. eARC, however, ups the ante by allowing for uncompressed audio transfer of immersive sound and popular legacy codecs, opening the possibility for amazing audio to enter your system through a television based app or streaming service.


Is My New 4K Gear Already Obsolete?
Change… ALREADY!? If you’re a recent 4K adopter or just purchased an expensive new AVR, then you’re probably feeling some level of frustration. My advice: take a deep breath and relax. Your current HDMI 2.0a 4K compatible gear has plenty of life left. Both 4K 120Hz and 8K 60Hz content certainly won’t be mainstream during 2018, and all signs point to a rather slow rollout of the 2.1 specification in the coming year. Also, HDMI 2.1 is designed to be fully backwards compatible, allowing it to work seamlessly with gear carrying older versions of the HDMI standard.

The bad news? HDMI 2.1 will require the use of new Ultra High Speed designated HDMI cables. In other words, your old cables – even those costly fiber optic cables – will eventually need to be replaced. Ultra High Speed cables are due to be released once the HDMI 2.1 Compliance Test Specification (CTS) becomes available, so keep your ears to the tracks and only purchase Ultra High Speed cables once they become available. Much like the 2.1 standard, Ultra High Speed cables can be used with older equipment. They also offer improved low electro-magnetic interference shielding and eARC compatibility.


When is HDMI 2.1 Going Live?
The HDMI Forum is beginning to rattle the 2.1 cans, but the specification’s 2018 rollout is expected to be rather slow. While some HDMI 2.1 prepped gear might get attention at CES 2018, the HDMI consortium requires all HDMI 2.1 gear to comply with a Compliance Test Specification (CTS) before it’s marketed as such. That testing specification is currently projected to be revealed in stages throughout Q1-Q3 2018. So, more than likely, the first impactful 2.1 products won’t be unveiled until late 2018 and early 2019.

Some current HDMI 2.0a AV gear might have the ability to be upgraded to 2.1 status via a firmware upgrade. But that possibility hinges on gear carrying high-end processing chips that likely weren’t integrated due to cost considerations, not to mention the willingness of manufacturers to release firmware. More than likely you’ll need to purchase new 2.1 designated AV equipment at some point in the coming years.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Here's a specification comparison chart published by the HDMI Forum:

 

[tripplej]

Good info. Thanks for sharing.

Is like waiting on the platform to get on the train.Unfortunately, once you are on the train, another one is already following.. Can't stay on the platform forever, eventually, you have to get on a train..

Such is life!

 

[JimShaw]

I think I will buy 2.1 HDMI cables when they start arriving and doing that will make me think all is OK. My system is up to date and I won't need to spend money on a new TV, receiver, player, etc., etc.

Yes, that will do it. That will fool me.

Buy new cables and life will be good again

 

[Jack1949]

Thanks for the article, Todd. I was wondering what HDMI 2.1 was bringing.

When I retired 4 years ago I decided to upgrade my system, which I had since the 1990s. So over time I purchased a TV, AVR, Blu-ray player, subwoofer and front and center speakers. I felt good to have the latest technology for a change...that lasted about 6 months. Now after reading your article about HDMI 2.1 I feel I'm falling behind the times again. But that's OK because I really enjoy what I have and I'll probably keep it for a long time...or until I feel I need to modernize again.

Jack

 

[Todd Anderson]

Hey @Jack1949 - Roughly 3.5 years ago we were in a strange spot in technology. HDMI 1.4 was still running the show, the first 4K TVs were hitting the market with HDMI 1.4 onboard, and immersive sound was slowly being rolled out. During that time I had some private conversations with a few AVR manufacturer reps and their heads were spinning. Companies simply couldn't source the tech necessary to make sure gear was future proof...things were changing faster than companies could innovate... but, at the same time, they were still trying to sell their newly released (but soon to be outdated) models as if they were the latest and greatest.

That was a period of time that I would have advised anyone to hold their money and shelve any notions of buying a new AVR or TV. This last year really isn't comparable and I haven't heard any fuss from anyone (yet, at least). Yes, HDMI 2.1 is going to slowly come into the fold, but it's fully backwards compatible AND we can all still treat our eyes and ears to amazing performance with the current HDMI 2.0a standard. If I had to guess, we're likely to see HDMI 2.1 start to flex its muscle in 2019/2020... but, realistically, will the content be there?

It's hard to imagine that it will be.

My feeling is that 99% of the buying public is still satisfied with performance factors that standard HD (or the compressed versions of HD fed through cable and internet lines) brings to the table. It's only crazy enthusiasts (like us!) that care... there's no way the industry is going to be able to render all of the current 4K compatible equipment useless. I think everyone is a-ok for quite a few years out.