Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

hdmi 2.0 adapter (4k@60hz) for nmp

fabric17

fabric17

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 3, 2011
36
5
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
h9826790 said:
But a wrong cable will change the 2.0 back to 1.4.
Click to expand...

A cable will work or it won't work, it doesn't drop to a lower spec.

fabric17 said:
It seems they changed :
http://www.cnet.com/news/hdmi-2-0-what-you-need-to-know/
Click to expand...

They didn't change. To quote the article:

CNET said:
It's worth mentioning, again, that 4K HDMI cables are nonsense.
Click to expand...

And to quote the HDMI organisation themselves:

HDMI.org said:
HDMI 2.0 does not define new cables or new connectors. Current High Speed cables (Category 2 cables) are capable of carrying the increased bandwidth.
Click to expand...

There weren't even 1.4 cables, again quoting CNET in an earlier article ( http://www.cnet.com/news/still-more-reasons-why-all-hdmi-cable-are-the-same/ ):

CNET said:
A "1.4" cable is a big misconception, and stems from truly terrible monikers from HDMI Licensing.
Click to expand...

You need a High Speed cable, which almost all should be by now, and have nothing to do with 1.4 or 2.0. Even ones that are not high speed might work, as mentioned in the fabric17's CNET link.

Also note that the HDMI organisation appear to restrict manufacturers from listing the version number in device specs. This might be to simplify things for the customer, but actually makes it a lot more difficult. I checked Sony and Samsung UHD TV specs on their own websites, and don't mention HDMI 2.0. Look on Apple's page for the rMBP. It says Magsafe 2, Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3, but only HDMI.

HDMI version numbers are a nightmare for consumers. A UHD TV can have all, some, or none of it's HDMI ports supporting 2.0, with variations even between different models by the same manufacturer, but the specifications don't tell you directly.
 
I think you're going to need an active adaptor to go from DP1.3 to HDMI 2.0. Which doesn't seem to exist yet.
 
goMac said:
I think you're going to need an active adaptor to go from DP1.3 to HDMI 2.0. Which doesn't seem to exist yet.
Click to expand...

I think you meant DP 1.2, not DP 1.3, but yes, it would have to be an active adapter. A quick search turns up a recently released a DP 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 converter chip (Explore Microelectronics EP963E), so it's technically possible and highly likely that someone will eventually drop one of these into an adapter.
 
Moonjumper said:
A cable will work or it won't work, it doesn't drop to a lower spec.
Click to expand...

Source HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz -> Good cable -> HDMI 2.0 input = work = HDMI 2.0 standard

Source HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz -> Bad cable -> HDMI 2.0 input = won't work = No HDMI 2.0 standard

Source HDMI 2.0 4K 30Hz -> Bad cable -> HDMI 2.0 input = work = HDMI 1.4 standard

I mean a bad cable will pull the whole system down to HDMI 1.4 standard, but not convert the HDMI 2.0 signal (e.g. 4K 60Hz) back to the HDMI 1.4 signal (e.g. 4K 30Hz).
 
Last edited:
Thanks to everybody precious contribution

now I am a little confused...
a suggestion about a "good cable" I should buy?
 
Last edited:
h9826790 said:
Source HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz -> Good cable -> HDMI 2.0 input = work = HDMI 2.0 standard

Source HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz -> Bad cable -> HDMI 2.0 input = won't work = No HDMI 2.0 standard

Source HDMI 2.0 4K 30Hz -> Bad cable -> HDMI 2.0 input = work = HDMI 1.4 standard

I mean a bad cable will pull the whole system down to HDMI 1.4 standard, but not convert the HDMI 2.0 signal (e.g. 4K 60Hz) back to the HDMI 1.4 signal (e.g. 4K 30Hz).
Click to expand...

HDMI is a digital signal that works or doesn't work, the cable does no interpretation. 4K 30Hz is covered by 1.4, it is not a 2.0 input.

fabric17 said:
Thanks to everybody precious contribution

now I am a little confused...
a suggestion about a "good cable" I should buy?
Click to expand...

Any cable should be fine if it is "High Speed", which most are. Avoid really bulky cables, which tend to be the expensive ones with more shielding, because the weight puts extra strain on the port.
 
Moonjumper said:
HDMI is a digital signal that works or doesn't work, the cable does no interpretation. 4K 30Hz is covered by 1.4, it is not a 2.0 input.
Click to expand...

That's what I want to say. The source is HDMI 2.0 (hardware), but unable to deliver a functional 4K 60Hz signal to a HDMI 2.0 standard monitor (or TV), And only able to deliver 4K 30Hz (which included in the HDMI 2.0 standard, and not a HDMI 1.4 ONLY standard) signal by a bad cable.

What's that means? The "whole system" is pulled down to the HDMI 1.4 standard (which is backward compatible by HDMI 2.0).

And what's the cause? The cable!
 
fabric17 said:
Thanks to everybody precious contribution

now I am a little confused...
a suggestion about a "good cable" I should buy?
Click to expand...

Any cable. HDMI is digital, so cable quality doesn't matter.

Well, assuming the cable isn't cut in half or something.

A lot of people just pick up whatever at monoprice.com

----------
h9826790 said:
That's what I want to say. The source is HDMI 2.0 (hardware), but unable to deliver a functional 4K 60Hz signal to a HDMI 2.0 standard monitor (or TV), And only able to deliver 4K 30Hz (which included in the HDMI 2.0 standard, and not a HDMI 1.4 ONLY standard) signal by a bad cable.

What's that means? The "whole system" is pulled down to the HDMI 1.4 standard (which is backward compatible by HDMI 2.0).

And what's the cause? The cable!
Click to expand...

HDMI 2.0 looks like it's just an increased clock rate on HDMI. The cable hasn't changed. There is no new HDMI 2.0 standard for cables, and there is no such thing as an HDMI 2.0 cable.
 
h9826790 said:
That's what I want to say. The source is HDMI 2.0 (hardware), but unable to deliver a functional 4K 60Hz signal to a HDMI 2.0 standard monitor (or TV), And only able to deliver 4K 30Hz (which included in the HDMI 2.0 standard, and not a HDMI 1.4 ONLY standard) signal by a bad cable.

What's that means? The "whole system" is pulled down to the HDMI 1.4 standard (which is backward compatible by HDMI 2.0).

And what's the cause? The cable!
Click to expand...

Please show a source for this please. It goes against what other sources say, including the HDMI organisation itself.

An HDMI cable is dumb. It can send a signal or it cannot. Plus there is no HDMI 1.4 cable standard, and there is no HDMI 2.0 standard.
 
Moonjumper said:
An HDMI cable is dumb. It can send a signal or it cannot. Plus there is no HDMI 1.4 cable standard, and there is no HDMI 2.0 standard.
Click to expand...

I didn't say there is a HDMI 1.4 standard cable, I just said "good / bad" cable. And a bad cable can pull the whole system down if it cannot successfully transmit 4K 60Hz signal.
 
You need an active DP to HDMI 2.0 adapter. Currently there's no such adapter. I've read on other forums that such adapters will be released early next year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back