COMING SOON: HDMI 2.0 Delivers 4 Times the Bandwidth

Image from Wikimedia.org

These days, it is impossible to enjoy HD television without the help of HDMI cables. These little beauties are the 8-lane highways of video communication that enable us to enjoy full hi-def video. Now, with 4K television on the horizon, the HDMI standard is also getting an upgrade.

Say hello to HDMI 2.0. This new standard for audio/video cables delivers 4 times the bandwidth of HDMI 1.4, which is the current standard. While current HDMI technology can deliver a frame rate of 3,820 x 2160 pixels at 30fps, the new standard will deliver the same resolution at rates up to 60 fps. This allows plenty of bandwidth for full 4K or UltraHD TV. Another great feature of HDMI 2.0 is the ability to stream two separate signals at once. This allows one person to watch their favorite show while another plays their favorite XBOX or Playstation 4 game.

The best part of HDMI 2.0? Current HDMI cables are fully compatible! There is no need to throw away your old cables for new ones. Much like USB on your computer, HDMI 2.0 is fully backward compatible, so it will work with your old home theater gear. This doesn’t mean that your old Blu-ray player will now broadcast at 4K resolution however you will be able to use that old player with your shiny new 4K TV (at least until you can get a 4K video player)!