UHD/4K and HDMI 2.0
Many people are looking forward to devices that can send and receive HDMI 2.0 signals. Some manufacturers have said that their HDMI 1.4 hardware may be able to be upgraded to HDMI 2.0 using a software patch – the connectors and cables are the same.
When we do get computers, screens, cameras and recording devices that are compatible with HDMI 2.0, what are the limitations when it comes to the various flavours of UHD and 4K?
The HDMI.org FAQ has the answers:
Does HDMI 2.0 support BT.2020 (rec.2020) colorimetry?
Yes. HDMI 2.0 includes support for BT.2020 Colorimetry with 10 or more bits of color depth.
Video Formats defined in BT.2020 and supported by HDMI 2.0 specification:
– 2160p, 10/12 bits, 24/25/30Hz, RGB/4:2:2/4:4:4
– 2160p, 10/12 bits, 50/60Hz, 4:2:0/4:2:2What are the 4K formats supported by HDMI 2.0?
So if you need the best quality 4K high frame rate monitoring, HDMI 2.0 won’t be enough. It also means that higher frequency 4K monitors will need to drop some colour fidelity in UI mode (when using the monitor as an additional screen with NLE UIs) in contrast with playback mode.
Find out more in the HDMI FAQ.