New HDMI 2.1 specification brings support for 4K at 120Hz, 8K, 10K resolutions

The HDMI Forum has released the latest HDMI specification, HDMI 2.1, with the new protocol variation able to drive 4K at 120Hz, 8K at 60Hz, and 10K across a new cable capable of 48 gigabits per second of data transfer.

Some of the other improvements in the new version of HDMI include eARC support for object-based audio and advanced audio signal control, wider dynamic HDR, and "Game Mode VRR" allowing a GPU to change the refresh rate of the image on the fly.

Version 2.1 of the HDMI specification was developed by the HDMI Forum's Technical Working Group whose members represent some of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics, personal computers, mobile devices, cables and components.

As with previous versions of the specification, HDMI 2.1 and the new cabling are backwards compatible to older equipment. The new specification will be available to all HDMI 2.0 Adopters and they will be notified when it is released early in the second quarter of 2017.

At present, the entire Apple product line supports some flavor of HDMI through either a direct HDMI connection, or an embedded HDMI implementation in Lightning, USB 3.0 or 3.1 type-C, or Thunderbolt 3. Apple only supports the older HDMI 2.0 specification that will be supplanted by the new version of the specification in the 2016 Retina MacBook, and the late-2016 Retina MacBook Pro across a USB-C to HDMI 2.0 adapter.

While the HDMI Group says that a firmware upgrade is possible to upgrade HDMI 2.0 devices to the new spec, whether or not that is possible "depends on manufacturer implementation."

19 Comments

noicc1138 55 comments · 11 Years

About 7 years ago

8k at 60hz isn't good enough for me. I'm looking for 10k at 240hz.

rob53 3299 comments · 13 Years

For all those who are ready to blame Apple for needing another new cable and/or adapter, this spec means new cables and I can bet they won't be inexpensive (although plenty of the cheap kind will be made and will fail and it will always be Apple's fault).

r00fus1 65 comments · 8 Years

Jeebus, I'm happy to get 1080p at over 30hz framerates. Who can actually tell the difference between 1080p and 2160p (4K) at standard TV viewing distances?

dysamoria 3430 comments · 12 Years

r00fus1 said:

Jeebus, I'm happy to get 1080p at over 30hz framerates. Who can actually tell the difference between 1080p and 2160p (4K) at standard TV viewing distances?

Probably me. Sadly I have none of these because I'm poor.

Soli 9981 comments · 9 Years

r00fus1 said:

Jeebus, I'm happy to get 1080p at over 30hz framerates. Who can actually tell the difference between 1080p and 2160p (4K) at standard TV viewing distances?

If you have anything close to normal or better than normal vision, it's very easy to tell the difference between 1080p and 2160p "at standard TV viewing distances." Could you tell the difference between 720p and 1080p or pre-Retina and Retina displays from Apple "at standard […] viewing distances"? Most people can.

TVs are getting larger and living rooms aren't being elongated to force you sit further away so the pixels would just continue to get larger and more noticeable if you kept them at the same resolution, hence the benefit of doubling the resolution/quadrupling the number of pixels to be displayed.

Case in point, running Netflx on a 4th gen Apple TV which only outputs 1080p doesn't look as good as Netflix via an 75" 2160p TV with HDR10 when the content is available in UHD+HDR. Even unconverted 1080p looks better. While UHD is still limited, it's offered on pretty much every new series from both Netflix and Amazon. Super cars on Grand Tour via Prime Video looks amazing.