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USB 4.0 type C ports will be able to output up to 16K video at ~80Gb/s thanks to VESA's new DisplayPort standard

DP Alt Mode v.2 is another potential use of the USB type C port. (Source: VESA)
DP Alt Mode v.2 is another potential use of the USB type C port. (Source: VESA)
The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has released specifications for its new DisplayPort (DP) Alt Mode version 2.0 standard. This video output modality allows USB type C ports to drive even 16K/60Hz displays, as it can leverage USB 4's 4 lanes to transmit nearly 80 gigabits of data per second.

VESA has announced its new, second-generation DisplayPort (DP) Alternate Mode (or Alt Mode) for USB type C ports. It will enable this form of connectivity to take on the properties of the DP 2.0 standard, which allows for up to 80 gigabits per second (Gb/s) of raw video bandwidth through 4 lanes of the cables in question.

The association has also stated that this new standard is also fully compatible with the up-and-coming USB4 standard (for example, it incorporates the same 128b/132b channel coding), which also calls for 4 lanes. In the case of the latter, data flows bidirectionally; however, DP Alt Mode v2.0 leverages this arrangement to give a single video stream along 2 one-way lanes.

This targeted form of video output has an effective data-rate of 77.37 Gb/s, which can support a display set at 15360×8460 (16K) and a 60Hz refresh rate, albeit compressed. However (and slightly more practically at this point in time), it could also drive 8K/60Hz with HDR and uncompressed, or 4K/144Hz for that matter.

VESA also envisions that this new standard will integrate seamlessly into the oneday USB 4 ecosystem, and also enhance extended-reality (XR, which includes virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR)) tech with access to greater resolutions and speeds than ever before.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 05 > USB 4.0 type C ports will be able to output up to 16K video at ~80Gb/s thanks to VESA's new DisplayPort standard
Deirdre O Donnell, 2020-05- 4 (Update: 2020-05- 4)