Of the hdmi cables longer, without loss of bandwidth or separate power supply, this is what the latest revision of HDMI 2.1a offers with the help of a new feature: HDMI Cable Power.
With this feature, long HDMI cables will be able to do without a separate power supply, it will be supplied directly through the connector. Be careful though, the devices will have to support this feature or the cable will have to continue to be powered by a separate connector.
Good news for professionals
While it is quite rare to need an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable longer than 5 meters in our homes, these are nevertheless common in projection rooms and the like. The new revision of the HDMI 2.1a standard brings precisely a relevant functionality for all activities that require long, much longer HDMI cables, sometimes up to 50 meters.
Instead of passive cables, it is already possible to use so-called active cables which require a separate power supply, usually via USB-A or USB-C. This will not necessarily be the case in the future with the implementation of HDMI Cable Power functionality.
Just waiting for compatible devices!
The latter will make it possible to use long HDMI cables as easily as shorter passive cables while taking advantage of video signals associated with 4K at 120 Hz, 8K at 60 Hz, or even VRR and dynamic HDR signals. like Dolby Vision. The cable will indeed be able to draw up to 300mA from the source’s 5V supply. As with conventional active cables, these will only be usable in one direction and will be labeled accordingly – in the worst case the signal will not be transmitted.
On the other hand, it will be necessary to wait for devices compatible with HDMI Cable Power. Either way, these new cables will come with a separate power connector for devices that don’t support this feature.
For those who would like to know more, a FAQ has been published on the hdmi.org site.
Source : hdmi.org
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