Technology always develops and it includes the technology we use to connect our players to stream for our television. HDMI has become a staple in homes playing video games or watching TV. As evolve this technology, though, it has become more and more confusing. In fact, the latest updates for HDMI 2.1a have created more confusion. What exactly is HDMI 2.1A and how different ways from previously released HDMI 2.1?
Well, for beginners, HDMI 2.1a is basically an incremental update for HDMI 2.1. Therefore, build from the same technology used for HDMI 2.1. That means you will not see a large fundamental change in HDMI by releasing 2.1A. Where HDMI 2.1 introduces support for EARC and 8K compressed signals, HDMI 2.1A carries a new feature called Tone Mapping source (via HDMI.org). This feature is the key update for HDR, though, so it can end up playing a large part in the future HDMI update.
What is the tone mapping based on source?
The image displays the difference between HDR
As mentioned above, the source of tone mapping (SBTM) is the only big change with HDMI 2.1A. But, it’s an important change for people using display that supports HDR (which stands for High Dynamic Range). HDR is basically used to provide more realistic tones in Darks and White by increasing the spectrum that the display shows for certain types of colors.
HDR has become a technology that is quite popular on television sets and game consoles in recent years. But, not all displays out there have the same HDR skills. Some views have different ranges of brightness and color than others. This is usually fine, especially when using technology like HDR10 or HLG. However, sometimes the device may need to show various types of content (such as HDR, dynamic HDR, or SDR) on the screen at the same time. This can cause problems with optimization as a display you cannot process all signals at the same time.
Because so many displays offer various levels of brightness and color range, HDR needs to be adjusted manually to fit correctly. With SBTM, though, the device can send a signal that takes full advantage of the screen capability without you needing to do anything. Basically, this will let the signal adapt to your screen capability, it doesn’t need you to only deal with various sets of colors and brightness.
In essence, SBTM is not a substitute for one of the previous HDR systems we have seen enforced. Instead, it is intended to optimize the process.
Do you need to buy a new device for HDMI 2.1A?
humans see new TVs
This is really where things are complicated. When HDMI 2.1 was released, it was heralded the need to buy new televisions, monitors, and devices even sources to take advantage of new technology. However, because HDMI 2.1A is not a total overhaul, there is plenty of space for updates it will be released as a software change, not a hardware change.
According to the HDMI site, SBTM and HDMI 2.1A will support several types of devices, including set-top boxes such as cables or satellites, and video game consoles and PCs. In addition, many of these devices will get firmware upgrades to add support for SBTM. Of course, this site note depends on the device’s design, too, so the answer is not right clear.
In the end, HDMI 2.1A will update good for users who like HDR and take advantage of every day. If you haven’t updated it for an HDR-activated display, or if you just don’t care about HDR technology in general, then this update will not be a big problem and you don’t need to worry about upgrading for it first. We haven’t seen the release of HDMI 2.1a first, so maybe we can see more features added when it comes.