--- title: New HDMI Spec May Cause More Confusion description: New HDMI Spec May Cause More Confusion --- [Securafy Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) - [Topics](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-cover) - [Tools](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-tools) - [Books & Guides](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-books) [Talk to Securafy](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) [Topics](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-cover) [Tools](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-tools) [Books & Guides](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-books) [Talk to Securafy](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) [Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) / IT Operations IT Operations # New HDMI Spec May Cause More Confusion New HDMI Spec May Cause More Confusion ![Randy Hall](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Randy%20Hall%202.png) By Randy Hall Updated Jul 2024 3 min read Share [**](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/01/14/new-hdmi-spec-may-cause-more-confusion) [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/01/14/new-hdmi-spec-may-cause-more-confusion&text=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3ENew+HDMI+Spec+May+Cause+More+Confusion%3C%2Fspan%3E) [**](mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3ENew+HDMI+Spec+May+Cause+More+Confusion%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/01/14/new-hdmi-spec-may-cause-more-confusion) ![](https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png)The great thing about standards is that they provide a standard.  A common framework that the manufacturers in any given industry can design around.  That's amazing when everything works the way it's supposed to but sometimes the system goes haywire. Sometimes things just don't work out as planned. Take the world of HDMI.  The HDMI standards are a mess.  That's particularly true of the HDMI 2.1 standard. That is only haphazardly supported by the major television manufacturers, cable makers and the manufacturers of the devices required to set up gaming systems on modern televisions. Essentially the problem is that bad standard means spotty support for it.  Spotty support means an increase in consumer frustration. Unfortunately, the new 2.1a standard probably isn't going to help and may actually make things worse. The hallmark of this new standard is the addition of something called Source-Based Tone Mapping or SBTM for short.  It's a new HDR feature that offloads a portion of the HDR tone mapping to whatever the source of the actual content is (your computer, your Xbox, or whatever). This tone mapping is done in tandem with whatever your TV itself is doing which should be a good thing.  Since the workload is being divided it should get done more quickly.  It could also help existing HDR setups work better and more effectively by removing the need to have the user manually calibrate their screens. Doing that can be a lesson in frustration. Unfortunately, in practice most users won't get access to the new feature unless they update their equipment. This is because support for HDMI2.1a will only be available on existing devices via firmware updates that most manufacturers are slow to provide if they provide them at all. Even worse is that SBTM is listed as an optional feature. This means that relatively few manufacturers will prioritize support for it. Again, standards are wonderful things when they are well designed and broadly embraced.  That's definitely not the case here and that's a real pity. Tagged Under IT OperationsBusiness Continuity In This Article Need Help With Your Current Setup? Talk through your current systems, risks, and support gaps with Securafy. [Book a Strategy Call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) ## Join The Conversation Have a question or perspective on this topic? Add it below. ![Randy Hall](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Randy%20Hall%202.png) About The Author Randy Hall · CEO & Founder Randy Hall is the CEO and Founder of Securafy, with decades of experience helping organizations make smarter, safer decisions about technology. A frequent speaker and instructor at national IT events, Randy has advised thousands of organizations, from startups and SMBs to large enterprises and U.S. government entities, on secure, practical technology adoption. He writes about the decisions business leaders are often expected to make without enough context, including cybersecurity, compliance, AI, cyber insurance, IT strategy, and business resilience. Outside the office, you’ll often find Randy on Lake Erie enjoying time on his 38-foot Chris-Craft. **Writes about:** Cybersecurity strategy, compliance, AI security, business resilience, cyber insurance, SMB risk, IT leadership [More From This Author →](https://blog.securafy.com/author/randyhall) Related Articles Business Continuity [Compliance Risk Assessment: How Downtime Impacts Your Bottom Line](https://blog.securafy.com/compliance-risk-assessment-how-downtime-impacts-your-bottom-line) When systems go down, compliance obligations don't pause—and the financial consequences ... Jul 28, 2026 Compliance [HIPAA Security Rule Changes Are Delayed To 2027: Why Healthcare Organizations Should Not Wait](https://blog.securafy.com/hipaa-security-rule-changes-are-delayed-to-2027-why-healthcare-organizations-should-not-wait) The updated HIPAA Security Rule won't take effect until 2027, but healthcare ... Jul 23, 2026 Compliance [Multi Factor Authentication Best Practices for CJIS Security Policy Compliance](https://blog.securafy.com/multi-factor-authentication-best-practices-for-cjis-security-policy-compliance) Law enforcement agencies and criminal justice organizations face mounting pressure to ... Jul 16, 2026 Compliance [CMMC Phase II Has Been Suspended: What Defense Contractors Still Need To Do](https://blog.securafy.com/cmmc-phase-ii-has-been-suspended-what-defense-contractors-still-need-to-do) The Department of Defense suspended CMMC Phase II enforcement, but that doesn't mean ... Jul 15, 2026 IT Operations [Cybersecurity For Veterinary Clinics: Protecting Client Data, Payment Systems, And Practice Operations](https://blog.securafy.com/cybersecurity-for-veterinary-clinics-protecting-client-data-payment-systems-and-practice-operations) Veterinary clinics handle sensitive client data, payment information, and critical ... Jul 9, 2026 IT Operations [AT&T Cybersecurity, AlienVault USM, And Managed Security: What SMBs Still Need To Own](https://blog.securafy.com/att-cybersecurity-alienvault-usm-and-managed-security-what-smbs-still-need-to-own) Managed security platforms like AT&T Cybersecurity and AlienVault USM provide ... Jul 8, 2026 Get Practical Cybersecurity Field Notes Monthly cybersecurity, compliance, and IT strategy updates from Securafy, written for business owners who need clear next steps. - Practical security tips from our Cyber Security Drip series - The Securafy Times, our monthly roundup on compliance and IT strategy - Occasional updates on new tools, guides, and research - No spam — unsubscribe anytime NIST CSF 2.0 Zero Trust Application Control CISA Aligned Enterprise Partner © 2026 Securafy — Columbus & Cleveland, Ohio [Main Site](https://www.securafy.com/) [Blog Home](https://blog.securafy.com/) [Contact](https://www.securafy.com/contact.html) [Privacy Policy](https://www.securafy.com/privacy-policy.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Randy Hall", "url" : "https://blog.securafy.com/author/randyhall" }, "dateModified" : "2024-07-24T20:06:56.650Z", "datePublished" : "2022-01-14T16:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "New HDMI Spec May Cause More Confusion", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.securafy.com/2022/01/14/new-hdmi-spec-may-cause-more-confusion", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/securafy-logo.png" }, "name" : "Securafy Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://securafy.com/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : [ { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressLocality" : "Columbus", "addressRegion" : "OH", "postalCode" : "43219", "streetAddress" : "4449 Easton Way, Suite 200" }, { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressLocality" : "Independence", "addressRegion" : "OH", "postalCode" : "44131", "streetAddress" : "6100 Oak Tree Blvd, Suite 200" } ], "areaServed" : [ "Columbus OH", "Cleveland OH", "Ohio" ], "name" : "Securafy Inc.", "url" : "https://securafy.com/" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://securafy.com/#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "inLanguage" : "en-US", "name" : "Securafy", "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://securafy.com/#organization" }, "url" : "https://securafy.com/" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://blog.securafy.com/#blog", "@type" : "Blog", "name" : "Securafy Knowledge Hub", "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://securafy.com/#organization" }, "url" : "https://blog.securafy.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://blog.securafy.com/2022/01/14/new-hdmi-spec-may-cause-more-confusion#article", "@type" : "Article", "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.securafy.com/about-us/#randyhall", "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Randy Hall" }, "dateModified" : "2024-07-24T20:06:56+00:00", "datePublished" : "2022-01-14T16:00:00+00:00", "description" : "New HDMI Spec May Cause More Confusion", "headline" : "New HDMI Spec May Cause More Confusion", "image" : "https://www.securafy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/securafy-og-default.jpg", "inLanguage" : "en-US", "isPartOf" : { "@id" : "https://blog.securafy.com/#blog" }, "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.securafy.com/2022/01/14/new-hdmi-spec-may-cause-more-confusion", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://securafy.com/#organization" }, "url" : "https://blog.securafy.com/2022/01/14/new-hdmi-spec-may-cause-more-confusion" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://blog.securafy.com", "name" : "Knowledge Hub", "position" : 1 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://blog.securafy.com/2022/01/14/new-hdmi-spec-may-cause-more-confusion", "name" : "New HDMI Spec May Cause More Confusion", "position" : 2 } ] } ```