Adoption of HDMI 2.1 (FRL) and DP 2.1 (UHBR) in video sources
(features, port speeds, interfaces, marketing and challenges in transitioning to new connectivity tech in products)
Why use HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.1 ports on video sources?
There are several reasons that have been pushing image sources towards wider video data bandwidth and full adoption of uncompressed video signals:
HDMI 2.1 (FRL) - Ports on some products are already fully capable. Nvidia RTX 3000 and 4000 GPUs can output 48 Gbps video signal on HDMI. Nvidia GPUs can output up to 4K/144Hz 10-bit RGB or 4K/120 12-bit RGB signal onto capable display without DSC (image compression codec by VESA) and up to 4K/240Hz with DSC. Similar capability is linked to AMD 7000 GPUs.
*Marketing caution: any device spec sheet must explicitly list "HDMI 2.1 FRL". Even then, we are still not sure of the port speed, unless listed as above.
*Interface and cables: FRL signal is delivered over HDMI port or mini-HDMI port. Use only Ultra-High Speed certified cables that guarantee 48 Gbps traffic.
*Adapters: There are also DP 1.4-HDMI 2.1 FRL adapters. This could be hit and miss, but look specifically for FRL support. Such adapter must feature PCON converter chip, such as RealTek RTD2173. Vendors of adapters include DeLock, Club 3D, etc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DP 2.1 (UHBR) - AMD 7000 graphics cards built on RDNA3 microarchitecture are currently the only devices that will be able to transmit up to 54 Gbps video signal to capable monitors in 2023. Monitor announcements are expected at CES in January. Samsung teased semi-8K "ultra-wide 8K" Neo G9 (7680x2160). It's early days for DP 2.1 UHBR adoption.
*Marketing caution: any device spec sheet should explicitly list "DP 2.1 UHBR". Even then, we are not sure of the port speed, unless listed as above.
*Interfaces and cables: DP 2.1 UHBR signal in delivered over native DP interface or over USB-C interface. VESA has certified two types of USB-C cables: DP40 and DP80 Gbps. There are several vendors of those cables, such as BizLink, etc.
*USB-C complexity: There is complexity to USB-C interface, depending on how DP signal is delivered from the host port into display. There are two options:
1. VESA DP40 or DP80 Gbps - these certified cables are DP signal only (see image above)
2. USB IF - USB4 40 Gbps - this cable can deliver DP if Alt Mode is supported on USB4 port
3* INTEL Thunderbolt 4 cannot deliver DP 2.1 UHBR signal, only tunnelled DP 1.4 older signal (8000 series Maple Ridge chips support DP 1.4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISPLAYS
Many 4K/120 10-bit TVs are already capable of receiving HDMI 2.1 FRL signal of 48 Gbps. New gen of 4K/144Hz TVs and 5K/120Hz 10-bit monitors will enter the market in 2023 and will need more bandwidth. Monitors, especially high refresh 4K/5K/6K gaming monitors and displays for creatives and other professionals, will become more bandwidth hungry than current 4K TVs are. Wide bandwidth is especially important as DSC feature on HDMI 2.1 FRL ports is not widely supported on TVs or projectors. All devices in a chain need to support DSC for compressed signal pipeline to work. Most 4K TVs do not support DSC feature, apart from some LG and Samsung models. Please check the specs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO CONNECTIVITY TECH IN PRODUCTS
There are a few ways to deliver video signal into end devices via diverse display engine and multimedia engine blocks baked into silicon:
1. GPU - most powerful support for video standards - viewing, gaming and productivity
2. CPU - modest support for video standards - viewing and some productivity
3. APU - moderately powerful support - viewing, light laptop gaming, console gaming, productivity
4. SoC - mobile chips, mostly with eDP (currently 1.4b and 1.5) - viewing, light mobile gaming
INTEL
CPU - current 13th Gen processors do not natively support HDMI 2.1 FRL or DP 2.1 UHBR
GPU - Arc A770 supports DP 2.1 40 Gbps and HDMI 2.1 FRL via PCON
NVIDIA
GPU - RTX 3000 and 4000 series support HDMI 2.1 FRL 48 Gbps, but not DP 2.1 UHBR
SoC - streaming devices, such as Nvidia Shield do not support either of protocols
AMD
APU - 6000 Zen3+ mobile Rembrandt CPUs support both protocols, DP 2.1 at 40 Gbps
CPU - 7000 Zen4 desktop CPUs support both HDMI FRL 48 Gbps and DP 2.1 at 40 Gbps
GPU - 7000 series support both protocols; DP 2.1 54 Gbps and HDMI 48 Gbps?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL CHIPS ON BOARDS
High density video signal needs to maintain strength and integrity in order to be delivered from source processor chip to output HDMI or DP port. PC motherboards and PCB boards on graphics cards use several types of chips to achieve this. Specifications of those chips can reveal whether end product supports HDMI 2.1 FRL and/or DP 2.1 UHBR signals. Note that additional chips do not guarantee support of all video modes. Those chips indicate hardware capability. Appropriate combinations of resolutions, refresh rates, bit depth and colour space profiles must be supported in EDID, DisplayID and driver level too.
.
Adoption trends in HDMI 2.1 FRL & DP 2.1 UHBR video sources in 2022/2023:
INTEL
Further reading on challenges and controversies associated with HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.1:
1. A Guide to HDMI 2.1
2. When HDMI 2.1 Isn’t HDMI 2.1 – The Confusing World of the Standard
3. Guide: How to Buy an HDMI 2.1 Display and a Real HDMI 2.1 Cable
4. A Guide to DisplayPort 2.1 – Certifications and Areas of Confusion and Concern
RESOLUTIONS, REFRESH RATES AND BIT DEPTH FOR HDMI 2.1 FRL AND DP 2.1 UHBR
HDMI chart - bandwidth, resolutions, refresh rates, bit depth, RGB, chroma and DSC data
Abbreviations explained:
*FRL (fixed rate link) faster data transmission protocol in HDMI 2.1 spec, allowing speeds up to 48 Gbps (older was 18 Gbps)
*TMDS (transition-minimized differential protocol) used in HDMI 2.0 spec and earlier, allowing speeds up to 18 Gbps
*UHBR (ultra high bit rate) faster data transmission protocol in DP 2.1 spec, allowing speeds up to 80 Gbps (older was 32 Gbps)
*CPU (central processing unit) or so called processor for computers
*GPU (graphics processing unit) known as graphics card for desktop and laptop PCs
*APU (accelerated processing unit) essentially laptop processor with more powerful graphics than desktop CPU
*SoC (system-on-chip) usually found in mobile devices, it integrates on one die CPU, GPU, memory, storage, etc.
*X670 chipset - new generation of motherboards with rich, mostly high-end connectivity
*B650 chipset - new generation of motherboards with decent, trimmed down connectivity comparing to X670
*AMD AM5 platform - new generation of boards, with new sockets and advanced features for Zen4 processors
*Zen 4CPUs - new generation of AMD compute silicon for desktop PC, laptop, workstation and server markets
*VRR (variable refresh rate) this feature allows smooth images during game play, without choppiness or stutter
*Intel Thunderbolt - interface that supports several types of data over one USB-C cable: DP, USB and PCIe
*VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) custodian of DisplayPort spec and other PC video standards
*USB IF (USB Implementers Forum) a nonprofit organisation, custodian and promoter of USB specification
*eDP (embedded DP) internal DP connector using ribbon cables, to power displays on laptops, tablets, etc.
*iGPU (integrated graphics) a piece of silicon within processor (CPU) containing graphic cores to process images
*EDID (extended display identification data) metadata formats in display devices describing capabilities to a video source
*DisplayID is a VESA standard for metadata describing display device capabilities to video source.
Welcome to the thread about HDMI 2.1 FRL and DP 2.1 UHBR source devices. Please engage and share your thoughts about existing and upcoming video sources with wide bandwidth signal for higher resolutions and higher refresh rates. Such source devices are expected to bring better gaming, productivity and viewing experience on various displays.
Many mini-PCs, motherboards and laptops list in their spec "HDMI 2.1 4K/60" or "HDMI 2.1 TMDS". This should raise red flags, as FRL signal is not supported and therefore such HDMI ports cannot output more than 18 Gbps, a limitation in the older spec HDMI 2.0b. Please be aware that DP 2.1 spec does not mandate minimum port speed, just like HDMI 2.1 does not, so dubious or misleading advertisement might occur.
The OP lists current and upcoming sources that support HDMI 2.1 FRL and/or DP 2.1 UHBR signals. As we progress with adoption, more devices will be added.
(features, port speeds, interfaces, marketing and challenges in transitioning to new connectivity tech in products)
Why use HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.1 ports on video sources?
There are several reasons that have been pushing image sources towards wider video data bandwidth and full adoption of uncompressed video signals:
- gaming experience - 4K 60/90/120Hz 10-bit RGB images require >18 Gbps and FRL signal
- daily viewing experience of images as above, such as smooth scrolling, require FRL signal
- live videos 4K/60 10-bit RGB require FRL and more bandwidth than HDMI 2.0b can offer
- pass-through devices, e.g. capture cards, for the above signals from GPUs/consoles, need FRL
- new AMD 7000 GPUs will drive even higher resolutions on DisplayPort 2.1 up to 54 Gbps
- AMD Zen4 CPUs and Zen3+ APUs are capable of supporting both new specifications
HDMI 2.1 (FRL) - Ports on some products are already fully capable. Nvidia RTX 3000 and 4000 GPUs can output 48 Gbps video signal on HDMI. Nvidia GPUs can output up to 4K/144Hz 10-bit RGB or 4K/120 12-bit RGB signal onto capable display without DSC (image compression codec by VESA) and up to 4K/240Hz with DSC. Similar capability is linked to AMD 7000 GPUs.
*Marketing caution: any device spec sheet must explicitly list "HDMI 2.1 FRL". Even then, we are still not sure of the port speed, unless listed as above.
*Interface and cables: FRL signal is delivered over HDMI port or mini-HDMI port. Use only Ultra-High Speed certified cables that guarantee 48 Gbps traffic.
*Adapters: There are also DP 1.4-HDMI 2.1 FRL adapters. This could be hit and miss, but look specifically for FRL support. Such adapter must feature PCON converter chip, such as RealTek RTD2173. Vendors of adapters include DeLock, Club 3D, etc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DP 2.1 (UHBR) - AMD 7000 graphics cards built on RDNA3 microarchitecture are currently the only devices that will be able to transmit up to 54 Gbps video signal to capable monitors in 2023. Monitor announcements are expected at CES in January. Samsung teased semi-8K "ultra-wide 8K" Neo G9 (7680x2160). It's early days for DP 2.1 UHBR adoption.
*Marketing caution: any device spec sheet should explicitly list "DP 2.1 UHBR". Even then, we are not sure of the port speed, unless listed as above.
*Interfaces and cables: DP 2.1 UHBR signal in delivered over native DP interface or over USB-C interface. VESA has certified two types of USB-C cables: DP40 and DP80 Gbps. There are several vendors of those cables, such as BizLink, etc.
*USB-C complexity: There is complexity to USB-C interface, depending on how DP signal is delivered from the host port into display. There are two options:
1. VESA DP40 or DP80 Gbps - these certified cables are DP signal only (see image above)
2. USB IF - USB4 40 Gbps - this cable can deliver DP if Alt Mode is supported on USB4 port
3* INTEL Thunderbolt 4 cannot deliver DP 2.1 UHBR signal, only tunnelled DP 1.4 older signal (8000 series Maple Ridge chips support DP 1.4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISPLAYS
Many 4K/120 10-bit TVs are already capable of receiving HDMI 2.1 FRL signal of 48 Gbps. New gen of 4K/144Hz TVs and 5K/120Hz 10-bit monitors will enter the market in 2023 and will need more bandwidth. Monitors, especially high refresh 4K/5K/6K gaming monitors and displays for creatives and other professionals, will become more bandwidth hungry than current 4K TVs are. Wide bandwidth is especially important as DSC feature on HDMI 2.1 FRL ports is not widely supported on TVs or projectors. All devices in a chain need to support DSC for compressed signal pipeline to work. Most 4K TVs do not support DSC feature, apart from some LG and Samsung models. Please check the specs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO CONNECTIVITY TECH IN PRODUCTS
There are a few ways to deliver video signal into end devices via diverse display engine and multimedia engine blocks baked into silicon:
1. GPU - most powerful support for video standards - viewing, gaming and productivity
2. CPU - modest support for video standards - viewing and some productivity
3. APU - moderately powerful support - viewing, light laptop gaming, console gaming, productivity
4. SoC - mobile chips, mostly with eDP (currently 1.4b and 1.5) - viewing, light mobile gaming
INTEL
CPU - current 13th Gen processors do not natively support HDMI 2.1 FRL or DP 2.1 UHBR
GPU - Arc A770 supports DP 2.1 40 Gbps and HDMI 2.1 FRL via PCON
NVIDIA
GPU - RTX 3000 and 4000 series support HDMI 2.1 FRL 48 Gbps, but not DP 2.1 UHBR
SoC - streaming devices, such as Nvidia Shield do not support either of protocols
AMD
APU - 6000 Zen3+ mobile Rembrandt CPUs support both protocols, DP 2.1 at 40 Gbps
CPU - 7000 Zen4 desktop CPUs support both HDMI FRL 48 Gbps and DP 2.1 at 40 Gbps
GPU - 7000 series support both protocols; DP 2.1 54 Gbps and HDMI 48 Gbps?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL CHIPS ON BOARDS
High density video signal needs to maintain strength and integrity in order to be delivered from source processor chip to output HDMI or DP port. PC motherboards and PCB boards on graphics cards use several types of chips to achieve this. Specifications of those chips can reveal whether end product supports HDMI 2.1 FRL and/or DP 2.1 UHBR signals. Note that additional chips do not guarantee support of all video modes. Those chips indicate hardware capability. Appropriate combinations of resolutions, refresh rates, bit depth and colour space profiles must be supported in EDID, DisplayID and driver level too.
| REDRIVER: designed to amplify signal due to electrical resistance loses, etc. |
| Texas Instruments - TDP1204 12 Gbps DC/AC HDMI 2.1 FRL LS or source redriver Texas Instruments - TMDS1204 12 Gbps DC/AC TMDS and FRL hybrid sink redriver Texas Instruments - SN65DP141 DP 2.1 UHBR10 linear redriver Diodes - PI3HDX12211 12Gbps 4-channel HDMI 2.1 linear redriver Diodes - PI2DPX20-XX UHBR20 redrivers |
| RETIMER: designed to be protocol-aware; it recovers the signal and retransmits it |
| ParadeTech - PS8419 – HDMI™ 2.1 12 Gbps Jitter Cleaning Repeater/Retimer ParadeTech - PS8830 - USB4 Retimer for DisplayPort 2.1 and Thunderbolt 3.0 Alt Modes |
| LEVEL SHIFTER: connecting systems with different output and input voltages |
| ParadeTech - PS8219 Low Power HDMI™ 2.1 Level Shifter/Redriver Onsemi - NB7NQ621M HDMI 2.1, DP1.4a and DP (DP++) 12 Gbps Level Shifter/Redriver |
| PROTOCOL CONVERTER (PCON): converts the source signal, e.g. DP into HDMI |
| RealTek RTD2173 PCON DP 1.4-to-HDMI 2.1 FRL |
| Current HDMI 2.1 FRL and DP 2.1 UHBR products | |
| GRAPHICS CARDS | |
1. Nvidia RTX 3000 and 4000 series - HDMI 48 Gbps
|
|
| CONSOLES - based on AMD Zen2 APUs | |
4. Microsoft Xbox Series X - HDMI 40 Gbps
| |
| PC MOTHEBOARDS WITH AMD Zen4 CPUs | |
6. All Asrock AM5 motherboards
*No Asus motherboard support either FRL or UHBR signal | Hybrid graphics mode Motherboard vendors have the option of exposing DP ports either via USB-C Alt mode, or by implementing fixed DP. In turn, on-board graphics can be used as active display outputs even if a discrete video card is installed, via AMD’s new hybrid graphics mode. |
| LAPTOPS - HDMI ports either via discrete mGPU or via AMD 6000 iGPU | |
| 10. Asus ProArt Studiobook 16 4K OLED 11. 2021 laptops with HDMI 2.1 FRL ports 12. Asus Vivobook Pro X16 OLED 2022 - port speed? | AMD 6000 Rembrandt laptops are yet to expose DP 40 Gbps |
| MINI PCs - few products with FRL, no product with UHBR - double check the specs | |
13. Gigabyte BRIX Extreme - HDMI 32 or 40 Gbps?
| *AMD 6000 Rembrandt APUs support FRL and UHBR signals it is up to vendors to expose it |
| PHOTO CAMERA - live video pass-through | no device on the market |
Adoption trends in HDMI 2.1 FRL & DP 2.1 UHBR video sources in 2022/2023:
INTEL
- Intel NUC PCs do not offer HDMI 2.1 FRL or DP 2.1 UHBR from integrated graphics (no support in display engine on CPU); PCON can be added by vendors
- Meteor Lake 14th gen CPUs could natively support HDMI 2.1 FRL - Q4 2023?
- Thunderbolt 5 will support UHBR20 and deliver 80 Gbps over TB5 USB-C port, and more
- Nvidia plans to add DP 2.1 UHBR support to 5000 series GPUs in 2024
- some HDMI 2.1 FRL adoption in laptop PCs with AMD 6000 Zen3+ APUs
- more HDMI 2.1 FRL adoption in desktop PCs with AMD 7000 Zen4 CPUs
- first consumer GPUs with DP 2.1 at 54 Gbps announced by AMD - 7900XT(X)
- no product with DP 2.1 USB-C port 40 Gbps from AMD CPU/APU on-board graphics
- DP 2.1 in Alt Mode at 40 Gbps is supported by USB4 spec. This signal can be delivered from AMD 6000 Zen3+ APUs and 7000 Zen4 CPUs over USB-C port
- DP tunnelled signal is currently limited to DP 1.4 over USB-C port at 32 Gbps
- DP tunnelled at 80 Gbps and in Alt Mode will arrive with new USB4 2.0 spec soon
Intel NUC devices |
Capture cards HDMI 2.0b (18 Gbps); no FRL |
Further reading on challenges and controversies associated with HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.1:
1. A Guide to HDMI 2.1
2. When HDMI 2.1 Isn’t HDMI 2.1 – The Confusing World of the Standard
3. Guide: How to Buy an HDMI 2.1 Display and a Real HDMI 2.1 Cable
4. A Guide to DisplayPort 2.1 – Certifications and Areas of Confusion and Concern
RESOLUTIONS, REFRESH RATES AND BIT DEPTH FOR HDMI 2.1 FRL AND DP 2.1 UHBR
HDMI chart - bandwidth, resolutions, refresh rates, bit depth, RGB, chroma and DSC data
Abbreviations explained:
*FRL (fixed rate link) faster data transmission protocol in HDMI 2.1 spec, allowing speeds up to 48 Gbps (older was 18 Gbps)
*TMDS (transition-minimized differential protocol) used in HDMI 2.0 spec and earlier, allowing speeds up to 18 Gbps
*UHBR (ultra high bit rate) faster data transmission protocol in DP 2.1 spec, allowing speeds up to 80 Gbps (older was 32 Gbps)
*CPU (central processing unit) or so called processor for computers
*GPU (graphics processing unit) known as graphics card for desktop and laptop PCs
*APU (accelerated processing unit) essentially laptop processor with more powerful graphics than desktop CPU
*SoC (system-on-chip) usually found in mobile devices, it integrates on one die CPU, GPU, memory, storage, etc.
*X670 chipset - new generation of motherboards with rich, mostly high-end connectivity
*B650 chipset - new generation of motherboards with decent, trimmed down connectivity comparing to X670
*AMD AM5 platform - new generation of boards, with new sockets and advanced features for Zen4 processors
*Zen 4CPUs - new generation of AMD compute silicon for desktop PC, laptop, workstation and server markets
*VRR (variable refresh rate) this feature allows smooth images during game play, without choppiness or stutter
*Intel Thunderbolt - interface that supports several types of data over one USB-C cable: DP, USB and PCIe
*VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) custodian of DisplayPort spec and other PC video standards
*USB IF (USB Implementers Forum) a nonprofit organisation, custodian and promoter of USB specification
*eDP (embedded DP) internal DP connector using ribbon cables, to power displays on laptops, tablets, etc.
*iGPU (integrated graphics) a piece of silicon within processor (CPU) containing graphic cores to process images
*EDID (extended display identification data) metadata formats in display devices describing capabilities to a video source
*DisplayID is a VESA standard for metadata describing display device capabilities to video source.
Welcome to the thread about HDMI 2.1 FRL and DP 2.1 UHBR source devices. Please engage and share your thoughts about existing and upcoming video sources with wide bandwidth signal for higher resolutions and higher refresh rates. Such source devices are expected to bring better gaming, productivity and viewing experience on various displays.
Many mini-PCs, motherboards and laptops list in their spec "HDMI 2.1 4K/60" or "HDMI 2.1 TMDS". This should raise red flags, as FRL signal is not supported and therefore such HDMI ports cannot output more than 18 Gbps, a limitation in the older spec HDMI 2.0b. Please be aware that DP 2.1 spec does not mandate minimum port speed, just like HDMI 2.1 does not, so dubious or misleading advertisement might occur.
The OP lists current and upcoming sources that support HDMI 2.1 FRL and/or DP 2.1 UHBR signals. As we progress with adoption, more devices will be added.
Last edited: