Last Updated on December 31, 2021 by Anu Joy
The HDMI 2.1a standard will be introduced at CES 2022. The new standard adds new features to the HDMI 2.1 stack. However, it’s not all sunshine and roses, with the new HDMI revision adding to the confusing mess of HDMI cables and standards.
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a proprietary audio/video interface used to transfer signals from an HDMI-compliant video source device to a compatible display device. HDMI 2.1a is the latest addition to the HDMI 2.1 standard that is currently available.
HDMI 2.1a Is Set To Bring Improved HDR Performance Via SBTM (Source-Based Tone Mapping)
A notable feature of the upcoming HDMI 2.1a standard is Source-Based Tone Mapping (SBTM). It will tone map HDR content on the source device instead of the display. SBTM is an existing HDR standard that is meant to improve the functionality of the existing HDR setup by removing the need for manual calibration of the screens for HDR. The official HDMI website states that SBTM will help the source to adapt to a specific display, instead of sticking with a fixed range of colour and brightness.
SBTM is made especially for PC and game consoles. For instance, it can be used for multiple windows where one window can display rich video, whereas another window can be optimized for black text on a white screen. This will eliminate the need for manual configuration. Besides PCs and consoles, set-top boxes can also support SBTM. However, their firmware will need to be upgraded for this purpose.
HDMI 2.1a Comes With A Catch
All this sounds well and good, so what’s the catch? The new SBTM feature will be optional for device manufacturers. So even if a device claims that it supports HDMI 2.1a, there’s no guarantee that it will support SBTM. Here’s where it starts getting confusing. The existence of the new HDMI 2.1 standard almost erases that of the previous HDMI 2.0, since all new HDMI 2.0 ports will be grouped under the HDMI 2.1 standard, even if they don’t support the latest HDMI 2.1 standard.
What does this mean to the end-user? If you’re looking to buy new hardware and cables that support the new standard, you might get stuck with a device that doesn’t support key features of the HDMI 2.1a, even if it is marketed as supporting the newest standard. You’ll have to read the fine print to verify if your device has HDMI 2.1a features such as SBTM.
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