It came to my attention yesterday, that a new HDMI 2.1 specification was introduced recently. I have not seen this commented upon here.
The most significant change I think, is that it is also allows the HDMI port to be what they term a "Power Port". This enables the 5 volt pin 18 of an HDMI output to power and active cable like Ruipro hybrid cables for instance, to be powered by these Power Ports without needing a voltage inserter. Ruipro cables take 250 ma. These power ports can provide up to 300 ma.
I also understand that there my be devices like a TV for instance that may take advantage of this capability, so purchasers will have another issue to be wary of when hooking up equipment. This has allowed the Ruipro cables to be HDCP certified, but I do not think it makes clear in their literature that they need to be connected to one of these new HDMI 2.1a power ports.
I am not aware of any devices claiming to have these new 2.1a power ports. Are any members aware of any?
This is the part of the release of information concerning this new specification as it applies to powering.
[HDMI 2.1a, Amendment 1 adds a new feature: HDMI Cable Power. With this feature, active HDMI® Cables can now be powered directly from the HDMI Connector, without attaching a separate power cable. This makes attaching and using active HDMI Cables as easy as using passive, wired HDMI Cables. To use the HDMI Cable Power feature, it is necessary to have an HDMI Cable which supports the HDMI Cable Power feature, and also an HDMI Source device which supports the HDMI Cable Power feature. This combination ensures that the active HDMI Cable can safely draw sufficient current from the HDMI Connector to power its internal circuitry.
In the case of the Ultra High Speed HDMI® Cable, performance requirements are so high, it is likely that the only way to meet the Ultra High Speed HDMI requirements in cables longer than a few meters is through powered, active HDMI Cables. Therefore, HDMI Cable Power was added to help support the HDMI 2.1a specification’s higher speeds by providing power to those active cables which may need it to function correctly. While active HDMI Cables have previously been used extensively in professional markets, their use will now increase in the home whenever consumers need longer-length Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables.
Connection is the same as attaching an ordinary, “wired” HDMI Cable, except that active cables can only be attached in one direction: One end of the cable is specifically labeled for attachment to the HDMI Source (transmitting) device, and the other end of the cable must be attached to the HDMI Sink (receiving) device. If the cable is attached in reverse, no damage will occur, but the connection will not work.
HDMI Cables with HDMI Cable Power include a separate power connector for use with source devices that do not support the HDMI Cable Power feature. Typically, these connectors will be USB Micro-B or USB Type-C®, but different power connector types may be used. As more and more source devices add support for HDMI Cable Power, these longer cables will deliver convenience in the living room along with reliable, high performance home theater audio video.]
You can read the full
HDMI 2.1s specification here. There are other significant changes apart from powering.
I think this is a significant change and has the potential for immense confusion, and a cause of blown HDMI boards by the unwary. This is all the more relevant as bandwidth increases in the new spec. will call for the use of hybrid cables like Ruipro at shorter and shorter cable runs.
This change requires major dissemination to avoid serious problems occurring.
