"What are the differences between HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1?" This is the question that arises in conjunction with the availability, on our site, of Visus HDMI 2.1. The HDMI 2.1 cable that has been long awaited as much as requested by our most loyal customers and others for several months now. Unlike most of our products, however, Visus is not only the child of Ricable design. It is also the child of a standard protocol "imposed from above" to which we had to adhere scrupulously in order to make sure that the features of HDMI 2.1 were met.
A little history: the HDMI protocols since the 1.0 one
Is this the first time the HDMI protocol has come to a new standard? Absolutely not. The HDMI 1.0 specification was announced on December 9, 2002, almost twenty years ago. But an ever-changing marketplace meant that in a relatively short time we went through the 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and, the penultimate version, 2.0 protocols. This, to be fair, dates back to "way back" in 2013, actually, a sign that from that point on, something in home video began to slow down. There have been a couple of interim revisions (2.0a in 2015 and 2.0b in 2016), but nothing that has changed the game much. That's why, perhaps, some expectation has arisen for this HDMI 2.1, which promises to be a breath of fresh air the likes of which has not been seen in a long time.
When is the game worth, really, the candle?
Before reviewing what changes from protocol 2.0b to 2.1, it is good to make a premise that is more methodical than technological or technical. The cable, in this case as in so many others, is a part of an ecosystem. The ecosystem is our system, which makes us enjoy our favorite music, and videos. This makes it so that to fully enjoy the new features brought about with the HDMI 2.1 protocol, all components must be aligned.
Let's start with the source, most often a Blu-ray player, which will necessarily have to be equipped with an appropriate output and hardware to transmit the 2.1 signal. The same goes for what is the output termination of a video system: a television set or projector. These, too, will clearly and necessarily have to enjoy an input and hardware that supports HDMI 2.1. Finally, there is one more aspect to consider, too often forgotten: the content we are enjoying. The movie or video we want to watch, whether on physical or digital media, it is essential that it too supports the HDMI 2.1 protocol.
The point, which we will never tire of repeating, is always the same. That is: the more detectable your installation is, the more noticeable an upward (or downward) tweak made to it will be. So much so that, regardless of the protocol, a visual improvement could be perceived even by mounting an HDMI 2.1 cable in a system "set" on 2.0, because of the higher bandwidth and the new technical solutions of the 2.1 protocol. A somewhat separate discussion deserves video streaming. Regarding this, we must emphasize how, beyond the resolution and declared characteristics, it is a signal that is always compressed by the various decoders or cloud platforms. So any intervention you can make, this will result, in a sense, "muffled."
What are the differences between HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1?
Here we come to the million-dollar question. What are the benefits of the 2.1 protocol over the 2.0 protocol? To make a long story short, HDMI 2.1 supports a maximum transmission rate of 48 Gbps (versus 18 Gbps previously) and a data transfer rate of 42.6 Gbps (versus a maximum of 14.4 Gbps previously), for example. In addition, HDMI 2.1 offers native support for 4K resolution up to high refresh rates such as 120 Hz and 144 Hz and can handle resolutions up to 10K at 120 Hz without data loss. In terms of features, HDMI 2.1 supports dynamic HDR, variable refresh rate (VRR), and an advanced audio return channel for Dolby Atmos and DTS (eARC), as well as much more, as shown in the image above.
HDMI 2.1 Made in Ricable: here is Visus
What does Visus HDMI look like? Perhaps shorter than you would expect. HDMI 2.1 is still, relatively, a new technology, and this does not allow for cables longer than three meters. Nothing prohibits, however, that in the future things will change and longer lengths will be available. In the tradition of Ricable, top materials enable top audio and video transmission. In addition to Solid Core monocrystalline OCC copper for the conductors, we employed new insulators and dielectrics. This has not only made the cable more high-performance, but also less rigid (flexibility is 30% higher) and bulky (gain is more than 1 mm). We also perfected the connector, for the first time in a shielded HDMI cable with a thicker shell. Visus HDMI from Ricable, after debuting on our website, is ready to do so in your homes as well. Find out more by clicking the button below.
