For over a decade, HDMI has maintained its dominance as the primary connection method for game consoles, personal computers, and external display adapters, thanks to its irreplaceable versatility. This is no coincidence — it transmits both video and audio signals through a single cable, supports the vast majority of mainstream resolutions and refresh rates on the market, and has continuously evolved through technological iterations, earning its reputation as a "versatile all-rounder" in the digital display realm. The arrival of HDMI 2.1 has pushed this standard to new heights.
From Gradual Progress to Leap Forward: The Revolutionary Breakthrough of HDMI 2.1
Since the launch of the first-generation HDMI interface in 2002, its development trajectory has centered around "improvement": higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, finer color depth, and wider color gamuts. However, these improvements were mostly incremental — over nearly 15 years, the maximum transmission bitrate of HDMI only increased by 3.5 times.
HDMI 2.1 has completely broken this pattern. As a new-generation standard, its maximum bandwidth has jumped from 18 Gbps (HDMI 2.0) to 48 Gbps, with data transmission rate increasing from 14.4 Gbps to 42.6 Gbps. It also supports 4 data channels for the first time (all previous versions had 3). More importantly, it introduces DSC (Display Stream Compression) technology, which further unleashes bandwidth potential with almost no loss in image quality.
This leap is directly reflected in display capabilities:
- Supports 144Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution (up to 240Hz with compression enabled)
- Supports 60Hz refresh rate at 5K resolution
- Supports 30Hz refresh rate at 8K resolution (up to 120Hz with compression enabled)
This means HDMI 2.1 can effortlessly handle both the high frame rates pursued by esports gamers and the ultra-high definition expected by audio-visual enthusiasts, even competing head-to-head with the emerging DisplayPort standard.
Beyond "Speed": A Comprehensive Upgrade of Feature Sets
The advantages of HDMI 2.1 go far beyond bandwidth improvement; they lie more in the enhancement of functions, making the connectivity experience smarter and more immersive:
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Dynamic HDR Metadata: Real-time adaptation of brightness and color for each area of the screen, rendering light and dark details more delicately
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Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC): Supports lossless audio transmission, easily connecting to high-end sound systems
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Variable Refresh Rate (VRR): Eliminates screen tearing and stuttering, especially suitable for fast-moving gaming scenarios
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Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM): Devices automatically switch to low-latency mode, ensuring zero delay in gaming operations
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Quick Media Switching (QMS): Avoids black screens or flickering when switching between content with different resolutions/refresh rates
The addition of these features has transformed HDMI 2.1 from a mere "transmission tool" into a core component that enhances the overall audio-visual experience.
Is It Worth Upgrading Now? A Guide to Choosing HDMI 2.1
HDMI 2.1 is undoubtedly a future-oriented standard, but whether you need to invest in it immediately depends on your usage scenarios:
If you are purchasing a new TV or monitor, prioritize devices with HDMI 2.1 interfaces. It ensures that in the next few years, you won’t have to worry about new devices (such as next-generation game consoles or 4K Blu-ray players) failing to deliver their full performance — it’s a wise "one-step" investment. Even if you don’t need high-bandwidth features currently, HDMI 2.1 interfaces are backward compatible with older devices, so your existing usage won’t be affected.
HDMI 2.1 is almost a "must-have". The 48Gbps bandwidth supports specifications like 1440p/144Hz and 4K/120Hz, allowing high-end graphics cards and next-generation consoles (such as PS5 and Xbox Series X) to fully unleash their performance. If your monitor supports both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort, you can choose based on device compatibility, but HDMI 2.1 has higher popularity in the TV sector.
About Cables:
One major advantage of the HDMI standard is version compatibility, but HDMI 2.1 imposes new requirements on cables — high bandwidth requires dedicated "Ultra High Speed HDMI" cables. However, there’s no rush to replace your existing cables:
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