It doesn't seem that long ago that HDMI 21 was announced, forcing gamers with the new PS5 and Xbox Series X to upgrade their cables to get 120fps refresh rates while gaming Now, at CES 2022, a new version of HDMI will be announced, bringing one major feature of HDR

According to The Verge, HDMI 21a will be introduced at CES 2022 The new standard is more of an upgrade than a complete overhaul; HDMI 21a will bring Source-Based Tone Mapping (SBTM)

HDMI 21a's Source-Based Tone Mapping is a new HDR feature that allows the original content source (PC, 4K Blu-ray player, console, etc) to optimize tones before sending the video signal to the monitor or best TV Of course, displays can also do their own internal tone mapping

What this means is that users will no longer need to calibrate their displays for HDR content The source can do all the tone mapping optimization and pass it on to the display This is especially useful when switching from one display to another, since the user does not have to fiddle with the display settings

The HDMI Forum states that set-top box, game company, and TV manufacturers can add HDMI 21a support through firmware updates "depending on their design" For major TV manufacturers such as Sony, LG, and Samsung, it is possible that their previous top-of-the-line models could be updated to HDMI 21a via software All of these companies have a history of sending firmware updates to add additional features

As for purchasing HDMI 21a cables or compatible TVs, this is not yet possible The new features have not yet been fully released However, SBTM appears to be an option for TV manufacturers, and consumers should read the specifications carefully before purchasing a 2022 TV

Based on the HDMI Licensing Administrator's rules, even if a port is labeled HDMI 21a, it may not support SBTM This rule also allows TV manufacturers to label a port as HDMI 21 in terms of functionality when it is actually an HDMI 20 port This is because inexpensive 4K TVs may not even support 8K video at 120 fps, so there is no need to add 21 functionality

According to The Verge, the HDMI Forum states that companies must specify what features their TVs support

TFT Central explains that manufacturers distinguish between HDMI 20 and 21 ports on their TVs, but according to the rules, manufacturers can label each port as 21

While it is understandable why the HDMI Forum has taken such a flexible approach to HDMI 21 labeling, the end result may be too confusing for most consumers In general, a higher numbered product should translate to a better overall feature set; the iPhone13 vs iPhone12 comparison is a clear example of this However, it defeats the purpose if consumers have to look up the spec sheet of their TV to see if the HDMI 21a port supports all the features of the 21a SBTM

Still, we expect to hear more details about HDMI 21a from TV manufacturers at CES 2022 early next year Until then, let's check out the top TV trends for 2022 and the most anticipated Netflix shows for 2022