VESA prepares to certify Ultra-High Bit Rate DisplayPort 2.0 cables to avoid HDMI 2.1's woes
DisplayPort 2.0 is coming!
Published: 1st March 2022 | Source: VESA |
VESA's avoiding HDMI 2.1's shortcomings by certifying 40 Gbps and 80 Gbps DisplayPort 2.0 cables
Let's face it, the HDMI ecosystem is a mess. Manufacturers can advertise products as being HDMI 2.1 compatible without supporting the entire HDMI 2.1 feature set (as most HDMI 2.1's features are optional) and things only get worse when you start buying cables. Some cables do not support the full bandwidth of HDMI 2.1, despite being advertised as such, and things only get more challenging if you search for longer HDMI cable lengths.
With DisplayPort 2.0, VESA plans to certify video sources, displays, and cables that support their DisplayPort Ultra-High Bit Rate (UHBR) standard. This standard is what enables the higher bandwidths available through DisplayPort 2.0, a standard that will make 40 Gbps and 80 Gbps cables a reality.
VESA hopes to avoid confusion by making it clear how much bandwidth specific cables and devices support, making it easier for DisplayPort users to purchase the cables and devices that they need. This will make the DisplayPort 2.0 ecosystem a lot less confusing than the HDMI 2.1 ecosystem, though it remains to be seen how effective this certification process will be. While the image of labelled cables below is encouraging, VESA doesn't appear to be forcing such labelling on real-world products.
Below is VESA's press release regarding DisplayPort 2.0's Ultra-High Bit Rate device and cable certification plans.
Press Release - VESA Readies DisplayPort Ultra-High Bit Rate Device & Cable Certification
The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA ) today announced its certification program for video source, display and cable products supporting DisplayPort UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate), the higher data link rates supported by the DisplayPort standard version 2.0. Through the DisplayPort UHBR Certification Program, device and cable manufacturers can send new products to DisplayPort authorized test centers (ATCs) for testing and certification. The higher bandwidths enabled by UHBR support a variety of use cases such as uncompressed 8K 60 Hz HDR, 4K 240 Hz HDR, two 4K 120 Hz HDR or four 4K 60 Hz HDR displays through a single cable.
Today, VESA also announced the introduction of VESA certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables, which guarantee display connectivity and operation at the highest performance levels introduced with DisplayPort 2.0. VESA certified DP40 cables must support up to the UHBR10 link rate (10 Gigabits per second or Gbps) defined by DisplayPort 2.0, and support the full four-lane operation, providing a maximum throughput of 40 Gbps. VESA certified DP80 cables must support up to the UHBR20 link rate (20 Gbps) defined by DisplayPort 2.0, with four lanes, providing a maximum throughput of 80 Gbps. VESA certified DP80 cables will also support the UHBR13.5 link rate (13.5 Gbps), which is also defined by DisplayPort 2.0.
Multiple video source and display products are undergoing testing in the DisplayPort UHBR Certification Program now, and should complete early certification soon. Several DP40 and DP80 cables using improved full-sized DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort connectors have already passed certification and are in production. Vendors currently offering VESA certified DP40 and DP80 cables include Accell, BizLink, and WIZEN, with more cables undergoing certification and expected to arrive to market soon.
"The ultra high bit rates supported with the DisplayPort 2.0 specification bring a whole new level of display performance and experience to the consumer," stated James Choate, compliance program manager for VESA. "By establishing the UHBR Certification Program, we hope to speed adoption of higher-performance video and display products across the ecosystem. We expect results from this program to be similar to the success achieved with other VESA certification programs, including those that have enabled widespread ecosystem adoption of products supporting DisplayPort HBR3 bit rates, as well as the DisplayPort Alt Mode and DisplayHDR specifications and standards."
Choate added, "No matter how high the performance of your graphics card and monitor are, the resulting image quality can still be limited by the cable used to connect those devices. Thanks to improvements in both the DisplayPort connector and cable design, the new VESA certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables enable consumers to get the highest performance possible from their VESA certified devices. These new cables are backed by VESA's UHBR Certification Program, which provides added assurance that if your cable has the DP40 or DP80 logo from VESA, it will meet the specs for the highest data rates supported by current and future products certified by VESA."
DP40 and DP80 cables are available in both full-size and Mini DisplayPort cable configurations, and are fully backward compatible with devices supporting DisplayPort link rates previously defined and currently in use, including RBR (Reduced Bit Rate), HBR (High Bit Rate), HBR2, and HBR3. For DisplayPort Alt Mode (DisplayPort over the USB Type-C connector), full-feature passive USB-C cables already support UHBR bit rate speeds, while USB Type-C to DisplayPort converter cables certified by VESA to meet UHBR speed requirements will soon become available.
UHBR product testing is now available at DisplayPort ATCs, including Allion Labs and Granite River Labs (GRL).
You can join the discussion on VESA's DisplayPort 2.0 certification plans on the OC3D Forums.
CSS Valid
I am glad to see that it's less confusing on the other hand. HDMI cables are a nightmare to sift through to find a good one.Quote