VESA released the DisplayPort 2.1 specification
The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) announced the release of the DisplayPort 2.1 specification, the latest version of the DisplayPort specification that will be backward compatible and replace the previous version (DisplayPort 2.0).
VESA says it has been working closely with member companies to ensure that DisplayPort 2.0-enabled products actually comply with the newer, more demanding DisplayPort 2.1 specification. Thanks to the efforts of VESA and all parties, all previously certified DisplayPort 2.0 products, whether it is a product that supports UHBR, whether it is a GPU, a docking station chip, a monitor scalar chip, a PHY repeater chip, or a DP40/DP80 cable, both active and passive, full-size DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort or USB Type-C are certified to the more stringent DisplayPort 2.1 specification.
VESA-certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables guarantee display connectivity and operation at the highest performance levels introduced with DisplayPort 2.0.
It appears that the DisplayPort 2.0 and DisplayPort 2.1 specifications are largely the same and interchangeable, the most important change being the new DisplayPort bandwidth management feature, DisplayPort tunneling is able to coexist more efficiently with other I/O data traffic over the USB4 link. The efficiency improvement comes on top of VESA’s mandatory support for the DSC codec and panel playback capabilities, allowing DSC to reduce bandwidth usage by 67%. In some cases, the new panel playback function can reduce the transmission bandwidth of tunnel packets by more than 99%. Additionally, the DisplayPort 2.1 specification enhances compliance with the USB Type-C specification and the USB4 PHY specification.
The DisplayPort 2.1 specification also updates the specification for DisplayPort cables, providing greater stability and enhancements for full-size DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort cable products, improving connectivity without lowering UHBR, and offering longer cable lengths. VESA-certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables, the former supports UHBR10 link rate (40Gbps), the latter must support UHBR20 link rate (80Gbps), and can also meet the requirements of UHBR13.5 link rate (54Gbps).
