ما هو تقنية 2.1 HDMI ؟
Bandwidth
A technically accurate representation of bandwidth
(Image: HDMI Licensing Administrator)
HDMI 2.1 is capable of far greater data transfer speeds than its predecessor, allowing it to exceed the current resolution and frame rate limitations experienced by HDMI 2.0. It does this in large part through a new, faster cable called Ultra High Speed HDMI.
Your HDMI cable is like a bridge between the content factory, your source device, and the image shop, your display. The faster the cable’s transfer speed, the stronger the bridge. Your source device pieces together shipments of data that it sends across the HDMI bridge to your display to become an image. As a piece of content’s resolution and frame rate go up, so too does the amount of data that needs to be transmitted in each shipment. It becomes a heavier payload.
If a bridge isn’t strong enough it just won’t be able to support the weight of shipping payloads with too high a resolution/frame rate combo.
An HDMI 2.0 cable with its 18 Gbps (gigabits per second) transfer speed is a pretty strong bridge. It can carry 4K resolution at 60 fps (frames per second) or 8K resolution at 30fps. HDMI 2.1 however is about 2.6x faster than 2.0. It has a transfer speed of 48 Gbps, which makes it a much stronger bridge. HDMI 2.1 can’t just handle full 8K/60 fps, it’s such a strong connection that it can carry payloads up to 10K/120 fps. A number that is basically just theoretical at this point.
A technically Rad-ccurate representation of bandwidth
(Image: Carole Boulware)
Since most of today’s content caps out at 4K/60 fps, 18 Gbps is plenty for the average viewer There are a few sources, however, that are starting to offer 40K/120 fps and beyond. For them, HDMI 2.1’s vastly superior transfer speed is very important.
If you have a PS5 or Xbox Series X, you won’t be able to enjoy everything your console is capable of unless it’s connected to an HDMI 2.1 TV via an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. If you’re connecting VR, HDMI 2.1’s ability to play 8K/60fps is going to be crucial to your gaming experience, and again that’s not even the limit. There’s no 10K video at 120 fps content or displays out there yet, but It’s nice to know HDMI 2.1 is ready for it when it they arrive.
Features
Bandwidth is arguably the most important upgrade HDMI 2.1 includes, but it’s far from the only one. HDMI 2.1 introduces a whole slew of advanced features meant to improve your content and your viewing experience as a whole. These can be a little overwhelming to take in, so we’re going to break them down one by one to make sure you understand what’s on the table when it comes to HDMI 2.1.
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
This feature is most important to those of us who don’t just watch shows and movies on our TVs, but play video games on them as well. When you’re watching a show or a movie, your TV isn’t just taking the image it receives and throwing it on the screen. It’s doing a ton of processing and image enhancing to make the image as crisp and beautiful as can be. When it comes to gaming however, all that processing does is slow things down and create what’s known as “input lag.”
When you’re just watching a show there’s no need to worry how long it takes a signal to get from the source to the screen, but when you’re gaming, every millisecond counts. Low Latency Mode often called Game Mode basically just stops your tv from doing all the image enhancement processes it would normally be doing so as to minimize the time it takes for the signal to get from your console, to the screen.
That’s all pretty standard. What Auto Low Latency Mode does, is automatically switch the TV into Low Latency Mode when it detects that you are playing a game. Normally you would have to manually switch the feature on and off in your TV’s options menu. With ALLM, your tv switches into Low Latency Mode when you start playing video games, and turns it off again the second you switch to watching a show or movie. Even if you’re using your PS5 for both tasks, ALLM ensures your TV is running optimally for your needs without you having to worry about making the adjustments. {
It’s a small thing, but at the level of technology we’re talking about, eliminating small friction points is as much a part of the game as improving picture or sound quality. Speaking of which . . .
Quick Media Switching (QMS)
This is a creature comfort that works with another more significant HDMI feature to make your viewing experience a little smoother. Let’s say you’re pumped for the big football game later today so you start playing Madden NFL 21 on your PS5 to pump yourself up. You’re killing it but you lose track of time and kickoff is happening RIGHT NOW! You switch your TV’s source from the PS5 to your set top box just as the teams finish lining up. You should be watching kickoff but instead your screen goes dark for a few precious frames and before you know it, you’ve missed the moment. That’s annoying.