HDMI 2.1 features
What HDMI 2.1 adds (48 Gbps, FRL, VRR, ALLM, eARC) and why the HDMI 2.0b Vertex does not pass these features.
HDMI 2.1 is a newer version of the HDMI rules. It lets a much bigger stream of picture data travel through the cable, and it adds extras for gaming and sound.
Think of it as a road that got more lanes and some new traffic rules. The Vertex was built for the older road (HDMI 2.0b), so it does not use the new lanes or the new rules.
Does the HDfury Vertex support HDMI 2.1 features like FRL, VRR, ALLM or eARC?
NONo. The Vertex is HDMI 2.0b with 18 Gbps / 600 MHz: no FRL, no 48 Gbps and no eARC, and the manual does not describe VRR or ALLM. Formats that fit 18 Gbps, such as 4K120 4:2:0 8-bit, still pass (p.39, p.110).
What it is
HDMI 2.1 was published by the HDMI Forum in 2017. Its biggest change is bandwidth: up to 48 Gbps (gigabits per second) instead of 18 Gbps with HDMI 2.0. To get there it uses a new way of sending data called FRL (Fixed Rate Link). Older HDMI versions use TMDS. The full 48 Gbps needs an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable.
HDMI 2.1 also brings extra features. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) lets a game console change the screen's refresh rate on the fly, which reduces tearing and stutter. ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) tells the TV to switch to its game mode by itself. QMS (Quick Media Switching) and QFT (Quick Frame Transport) cut delays. eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) sends lossless and object-based sound from the TV back to a sound system. Dynamic HDR lets brightness information change scene by scene.
A device can say 'HDMI 2.1' and still support only some of these features. Always check which features a product actually lists.
On the Vertex
The Vertex is an HDMI 2.0b device with 600 MHz / 18 Gbps bandwidth (p.4, p.110). It has no FRL, no 48 Gbps link and no eARC. It works with any HDMI version from 1.0 and up, but only within its own 18 Gbps limit (p.104).
Within 18 Gbps it can still pass some formats that people link to HDMI 2.1: the manual lists 4K120 4:2:0 8-bit and 8K30 4:2:0 8-bit as maximum formats, next to 4K60 4:4:4 8-bit and 4K60 4:2:2 12-bit (p.110). Anything that needs more than 18 Gbps, such as 4K120 4:4:4 from a modern console, will not go through.
The manual does not describe VRR or ALLM. HDfury's product page mentions ALLM and VRR only 'for EDID signaling and source detection'. That is not the same as full VRR gaming through the box, so do not plan a VRR gaming setup around the Vertex. Its ARC is the older ARC, set up via CEC on the BOT output (p.39).
Common questions
Can I use the Vertex with a PS5 or Xbox Series X at 4K120?
Only in formats that fit 18 Gbps, such as 4K120 4:2:0 8-bit (p.110). Full-bandwidth 4K120 modes need HDMI 2.1 FRL, which the Vertex does not have.
Does the Vertex pass VRR or ALLM?
The manual does not list them. HDfury's product page mentions them only for EDID signalling and source detection, so do not count on VRR gaming through the Vertex.
Does the Vertex support eARC?
No. It supports the older ARC through CEC on the BOT output (p.39).
Will a 48 Gbps cable make the Vertex faster?
No. A better cable can help a 600 MHz link be stable, but the Vertex itself stays at 18 Gbps.
- https://www.hdmi.org/announce/detail/172
- https://hdfury.com/product/vertex-4k60-444-600mhz/
- manual p.4
- manual p.104
- manual p.110