New HDMI Forum Version 2.1 Specification is Good News for Audio

Initially unveiled at CES 2017, Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification is now published and brings so much more than just support for resolutions up to 10K and Dynamic HDR. In fact HDMI 2.1 is a huge leap forward, introducing a new Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable, which also supports Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), multichannel uncompressed 24-bit/192 kHz audio, and support to advanced audio formats - including DTS Master, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos and more.

The NFC Forum announced the availability of three adopted and one candidate technical specifications, following approval by the Board of Directors. Significant enhancements to these specifications include the addition of Active Communication Mode (ACM) for Peer-to-Peer Mode (P2P) communication, support of NFC-V Technology compatible to ISO/IEC 15693 and the introduction of the NFC-V based Type 5 Tag allowing NFC devices to communicate with a broader range of devices and tags.

A little earlier than expected, on December 7, 2016, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) officially adopted Bluetooth 5 as the latest version of the Bluetooth core specification. Key updates to Bluetooth 5 include longer range, faster speed, and larger broadcast message capacity, as well as improved interoperability and coexistence with other wireless technologies. This sets the stage for transformative wireless connectivity.

The NFC Forum announced the publication of one candidate and two adopted specifications, following approval by the Board of Directors. The new specifications - now available from the NFC Forum website - enhance the performance and security of NFC services, delivering more robust peer-to-peer communication and better user experiences.

As expected, one of the highlights at CES 2016 was the UHD Alliance event, confirming that the specification to define the Ultra HD Premium “Premium Home Entertainment Experience” is now finalized. The result of a vast industry consensus, the consortium also unveiled the Ultra HD Premium logo for hardware and content, as well as details for certification and licensing processes.