An announcement made by the HDMI forum has put the emphasis on the consumer ensuring that the visual and, in some cases, audio equipment they buy, which claim to be HDMI 2.1 compliant, actually delivers what you want. In the first section of the article, I will briefly run through the highlights of the HDMI 2.1 standards before moving on to what the HDMI forum has announced and why I think it is an issue for both you the consumer.
What is HDMI 2.1
HDMI 2.1 is the latest version of the HDMI standard, and while it is backwards compatible with earlier versions of the HDMI standard such as HDMI 2. If any of the devices are HDMI 2.0 devices. All devices will work as HDMI 2.0, even those rated for HDMI 2.1. Both devices and the cable connecting the two devices must be HDMI 2.1 compliant to support the following.
- Adjustable frame rates in games on supported devices such as most modern gaming PCs, Playstation 5 and most recent Xbox.
- Uncompressed eARC audio
- frame by frame HDR play back such as that used by Dolby Vision or HDR10+
HDMI 2.0 equipment should be labeled as HDMI 2.1
The HDMI Forum released a statement to TFT Central. I have included a link to the TFT Central article with the statement called when HDMI2.1 isn’t HDMI 2.1.
The statement made to TFT Central makes two key points. Firstly, HDMI 2.0 is no longer a supported HDMI standard. Secondly, the new functionality supported by HDMI 2.1 is optional. The HDMI forum then states that the manufacture is expected to tell the subscriber which part of the HDMI 2.1 standard is compliant.
In my mind, this is a standards body wiping their hands clean from the responsibility of ensuring that the supplier provides what the consumer believes they are getting.
Conclusion
My advice would be cautious when buying new audiovisual equipment that uses HDMI. If you are buying computer equipment, you should consider the alternative DisplayPort standard.
What do you think of these changes?