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What is HDMI 2.1a? Yet another HDMI spec may be on the way
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What is HDMI 2.1a? If you thought the current HDMI situation was confusing, prepare for things to get even more convoluted with the reported launch of HDMI 2.1a.
As of right now, there are a few important specs you need to be looking at if you’re buying a new television for gaming. One of them is the presence ofHDMI 2.1ports required for 4K 120Hzvariable refresh rategaming on thePS5andXbox Series X.
With the next-gen consoles, a TV with at least one HDMI 2.1 port, and an Ultra High Speed certified HDMI cable, you’re on the fast track to getting the best visuals possible from the new machine. Easy, right?
Well, the HDMI Forum is reportedly planning to shake things up a little by launching another new standard atCES 2022, set to be called HDMI 2.1a.
What is HDMI 2.1a?
The HDMI Forum hasn’t officially announced anything yet and may be waiting for CES 2022 to get underway on January 5 before dropping the official word.
However,The Vergeseems to have obtained some details on the planned update, saying it will add a new feature called Source-Based Tone Mapping (SBTM) to the standard. According to the report, this its HDR-centric.
The report says SBTM “offloads some of the HDR tone mapping to the content source (like your computer or set-top box) alongside the tone mapping that your TV or monitor is doing.”
The idea behind the tech isn’t to replace existing standards like HDR10+ orDolby Vision(thank goodness, the last thing we need is another competing standard). Instead, the report says, SBTM will “better optimise the content it passes to the display” minus the need for manual calibration of the display.
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What does HDMI 2.1a mean for me?
Does it mean you’re going to have to get another new TV or set-top box to stay compatible with the latest standard and receive that HDR boost offered by Source-Based Tone Mapping? Thankfully not! According to the report, HDMI 2.1a support can be added by manufacturers through a firmware update. HDMI 2.1 ports will automatically become HDMI 2.1a ports, but it’s up to manufacturers to implement the support.
HDMI 2.1a release date
As soon as HDMI 2.1 is officially announced, we’ll be back with all of the full details, including the release date and rollout plans. We have contacted the HDMI Forum for a statement.
Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
