The promise of smart televisions — packed with Internet connectivity, DVR functions and a myriad of other, often obscure bells and whistles — has in recent years been eclipsed by 4K picture quality. However, technical limitations have hindered the deployment of so-called true 4K — until now.
Today, the non-profit HDMI Forum announced the release of HDMI 2.0, a new specification that will allow users to view 4K video at 60 frames per second as opposed to 30 fps, the previous limitation at 3,840 x 2,160 resolution in HDMI 1.4.
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According to the HDMI Forum, the update offers up to four times the clarity of current 1080p video resolution. Additionally, the new spec will give users the ability to pump video at up 18 gigabits per second — a significant leap beyond the previous ceiling of 10Gbps.
With the added capacity, users will also gain 32 audio channels and now have ability to display dual videos on one screen. HDMI Forum president, Sony’s Robert Blanchard, said in a statement, “The introduction of the HDMI 2.0 Specification represents a major milestone for the HDMI Forum. Our members collaborated closely to take the highly successful HDMI specification to the next level by expanding audio and video features for consumer electronics applications.”
Those who have already invested in the sometimes-pricey HDMI cables won't have to replace them for the added bandwidth as the updated capacity is perfectly backwards compatible with existing HDMI cables. The HDMI Forum plans to offer a full presentation detailing the development of the HDMI 2.0 this Friday at the IFA conference in Berlin.
Image: Flickr, Sam Catchesides