(January 17, 2020) The HDMI Forum has announced a mandatory certification program for cables supporting HDMI 2.1 features, including full 8K resolution. This means consumers purchasing a certified 2.1 cable are guaranteed to experience true 4K and 8K performance, along with HDR, VRR, eARC, other-applicable 2.1 features, and minimum EMI requirements for resistance to wireless interference.
The certification program demands extensive testing for cables of any length at an HDMI Authorized Testing Center. Once certified, the HDMI Forum requires qualifiying cables to carry an Ultra High Speed Certification Label on its packaging. This label utilizes anti-counterfeit design elements and will be supported by more than 140 cable manufacturers.
“The Ultra High Speed HDMI cable is the only way to ensure all the features and capabilities of the HDMI 2.1 Specification are delivered from a source device to a display. Ensuring Ultra High Speed HDMI cables are compliant with the HDMI 2.1 Specification is essential to the HDMI eco-system,” said David Glen of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. and president of the HDMI Forum. “The HDMI Forum’s mandatory ATC-only certification requirements are designed to ensure cables are compliant with the HDMI 2.1 Specification. And the anti-counterfeit Ultra High Speed HDMI Certification Label and its scanning results provides a visible verification of certification that a product meets the HDMI Forum’s requirements.”
Unlike past iterations of HDMI specifications, full 2.1 performance cannot be achieved through the use of a 2.0 compatible cable (or earlier). The specification is backwards compatible, however, allowing older gear to to be used with newer 2.1 capable equipment.
For more information about the HDMI 2.1 specification, including detailed feature highlights, visit the HDMI Forum on the web.
