HDMI Licensing is set to launch a new certification program to guarantee that consumers will get the viewing experience that high-speed HDMI cables promise to deliver.
Although it's not hard to find cables that support 4K or Ultra HD, it's pretty rare to find one that can actually port the high resolution consistently, especially when the cable's length comes into consideration.
With the new program, HDMI Licensing plans to get rid of phony products by implementing an anti-counterfeit labeling system. Aside from the additional product testing, this labeling system will allow not only consumers but also distributors, dealers and manufacturers to check the authenticity of a product. HDMI evangelist, Jeff Park, also hopes to provide "peace of mind" to the public with these new testing procedures.
In creating cables, manufacturers will have to submit their products to Authorized Test Centers (ATC) to test if they can support the 18 Gbps bandwidth, which is part of the HDMI 2.0 specification. This ensures that the cables will be able to fully support content with high frame rates up to 50 fps and 60 fps and high-dynamic range (HDR) videos, as well as EMI levels to make sure that the cables will function in different environments.
The products that pass the rigorous tests are labeled with unique holographic tags, which are tamper-proof, according to Park. The labels are designed to make premium HDMI cables distinct from standard ones. HDMI Licensing will also release an app that will allow consumers to verify whether Premium High Speed HDMI Cables are genuine or not.
Like Park, President of HDMI Licensing Rob Tobias also hopes to deliver peace of mind, considering the situation of the public. He continues to say that he wants consumers to be able to easily identify the premium cables.
"As they upgrade their equipment, consumers expect to fully enjoy the 4K/UltraHD features that the HDMI Specification enables," Tobias says.
HDMI Licensing states that the premium cables could be available in early 2016 or at least in its first quarter.
