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VESA announces DisplayPort 2.0 certified products to avoid HDMI 2.1-style confusion

VESA hopes that DisplayPort 2.0 cables will clearly show what bandwidth they offer. (Image source: VESA)
VESA hopes that DisplayPort 2.0 cables will clearly show what bandwidth they offer. (Image source: VESA)
VESA has announced that DisplayPort 2.0 labels will specify what bandwidth they offer in a bid to avoid HDMI 2.1-related confusion. VESA's certification program will include DP40 and DP80-certified cables that will denote 40 Gbps and 80 Gbps compatibility, respectively.

Last year, it emerged that not all HDMI 2.1 cables or ports were created equally. As it turns out, the HDMI Licensing Administrator confirmed to TFT Central that all manufacturers could label devices with HDMI 2.x connections as supporting HDMI 2.1, and that any advanced features like VRR or higher bandwidths were optional.

Thankfully, VESA has promised a less opaque approach with DisplayPort 2.0, which offers up to 80 Gbps bandwidth. Theoretically, this bandwidth means that 8K monitors could operate at 60 Hz with HDR enabled without resorting to compression technology. Alternatively, a single and full bandwidth DisplayPort 2.0 cable could support four 4K HDR monitors at 60 Hz or a 4K HDR monitor at 240 Hz.

Unlike HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.0 ports must support the protocol's full bandwidth. Additionally, VESA has confirmed that it will certify cables as DP40 and DP80 to highlight that they support 40 Gbps and 80 Gbps bandwidths, respectively. VESA emphasizes that both standards are backwards compatible, and manufacturers are already producing DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort-compliant cables.

Apparently, VESA continues to test the first devices and monitors with DisplayPort 2.0-certified ports, though. In a press release, VESA explains DisplayPort 2.0 as follows:

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. 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.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2022 03 > VESA announces DisplayPort 2.0 certified products to avoid HDMI 2.1-style confusion
Alex Alderson, 2022-03- 1 (Update: 2022-03- 1)