New certification will ensure HDMI cables can output 4K

[Poke]

4K on the way..

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/05/hdmi-4k-certification/

 

[harshness]

If only someone would figure out how to prepare red herring, there would be no more hunger.

Adding a sticker to a high speed cable will doubtless allow some to charge a whole lot more for the same physical cable.

Consumers simply can't grasp that the newer protocols use the same old cables differently because the marketroids don't want them to understand the truth. Here the HDMI group appears to have fallen prey to that pressure.

 

[jevans64]

Monster will just sprinkle a bit of their Magic Electron Fairy Dust on their existing cables to make them 4K certified. That MEFD will add about 50% to the cost of a " normal " HDMI cable.

 

[harshness]

Just another qualification that the manufacturers can throw money at to support the HDMI people and their certification services with fundage.

 

[KJ6EO]

AHHHH YES ... the wonderful HDMI cable. What's got under my skin regarding HDMI cables in general is their cost. I go down the street to (Store A) and they want to charge me $25 dollars for a 6' HDMI cable. In an Industrial Center 5 miles away there's a "Wholesale Cable Everything Store" where I can buy the same cable for $5. Like Jevan said, somebody somewhere will "Bless" the cable, put a 4K sticker on it, and raise the price 50%

 

[gadgtfreek]

I already changed all my redmere cables to their newer version, which are 18gbps now.

 

[harshness]

Like Jevan said, somebody somewhere will "Bless" the cable, put a 4K sticker on it, and raise the price 50%

That's what fries me. If the cable truly meets the High Speed certfication, it should also meet the UHD cert.

Of course since all this certification is based on limited sample testing, it is all pretty silly.

 

[teachsac]

I use mediabridge. Certified High Speed with 18 Gbps. Cost a whopping $6 a piece.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Only reason I went redmere is I have tight bends. 3.5 times the mediabridge, but I just didn't have much choice. That being said, $20 for a 6foot slim cable that is built well really doesn't make me cringe.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I see mediabridge now has a flex series that is smaller and bends well

Specifications
- Supports 3D, Ethernet channel, ARC, 1440p, 1080p & 4K@50/60 (2160p) Ultra HD resolution
- Supports transfer rates of at least 18Gbps & 240/480Hz increased refresh rates
- Supports 48-Bit deep color, HDCP compliant & True HD-Dolby 7.1

$9!

 

[mike123abc]

I view the certification as a good thing, now I can buy the least expensive cable that is certified and know that I am probably getting a decent product.

I could see manufacturers like Monster not liking it because they will have fewer selling points if the $5 cable next to their $75 cable has the same certification that it will work with all the HDMI 2.0 features...

 

[gadgtfreek]

Agree. Put 18gb or UHD or 4K HDMI into Amazon search and see what you get. Not easy for someone not up to speed and the more $$$ the cable many will assume it's "better".

 

[Ilya]

Here is the new tamper-proof label to look for:

 

[navychop]

:haha

"Tamper proof!"

Now THAT'S a real knee slapper!

I wish I could write that in Chinese (Mandarin).

 

[gadgtfreek]

???

 

[navychop]

Funny. I thought that translated as stick men watching TV.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Kinda looks like a family around a HDTV or fireplace!

 

[KJ6EO]

That's Grasshopper and Master Po talking across a table. "When you can snatch the pebble from my hand it will be time for you to leave"

 

[gadgtfreek]

A HDMI has undergone a bunch of changes since your last upgrade. Versions 1.4/1.4a added both 4K and 3D video support plus an Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature that allows digital audio to be routed back from an HDTV to an ARC-compatible receiver. HDMI 2.0 bumped the interface bandwidth up from 10.2 Gb/s to 18 Gb/s, an upgrade that enabled support for 4K video at 60 frames-per-second along with a Rec.2020 color gamut.

As for HDCP 2.2, a number of first-gen UHDTVs and A/V receivers with HDMI 2.0 connections lacked support for that new copy protection technology —one required for UHDTVs to display 4K video from sources like forthcoming UHD Blu-ray players—out of the gate, but virtually all models shipped since late 2014 are compatible with it. Oh yeah, the latest new HDMI flavor, version 2.0a, supports the transmission of High Dynamic Range format images.

The good news here is that any High Speed cables you purchased during your last, HDMI 1.3-centric upgrade should work fine for the new HDMI versions up to and including 2.0a. According to a FAQ on the HDMI Forum website, “HDMI 2.0 does not define new cables or new connectors. Current High Speed cables (Category 2 cables) are capable of carrying the increased bandwidth.” So at least that’s one less item you’ll need to buy during your big, across-the-board A/V upgrade.


Read more at http://www.soundandvision.com/content/do-i-need-new-hdmi-cables-uhdtv#ejeZMcPrrL38KSd2.99

 

[teachsac]

Yep. High Speed cables work just fine, Been using them for two years.