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Ars Techniica: Sony will wake a sleeping HDR beast via firmware. Rigby mentioned!

LordOfChaos

LordOfChaos

Member
1.4 -> 2.0 -> 2.0a

When both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launched in 2013, the systems' HDMI controllers were rated as HDMI 1.4. That was the primary HDMI standard at the time, and it determined how much data could be sent over HDMI cables at a given moment, which governs technical details like maximum frame rates at certain pixel resolutions.

Displaying a "full 4K" signal—also known as UHD resolution, measured at 3840x2160 pixels—is impossible via the HDMI 1.4 spec, at least at the desired 60 frames-per-second sweet spot. (4K via a 1.4 interface will work, but it's limited to 24 frames per second.) Any media-playing and computing device that wants to connect to a 4K screen via HDMI will need an HDMI controller rated at least 2.0 for those settings. The aforementioned NeoGAF forum member, Jeff Rigby, alleged that the controller was capable of that spec, in spite of its release before 2.0 had been finalized.

High dynamic range displays require just as much data throughput for so much color and luminosity data. The two leading HDR specs, HDR-10 and Dolby Vision, require no less than an "HDMI 2.0a" spec, which supplants the higher-bandwidth requirements of 2.0 with "additional metadata" required to enable the transmission/reception of such HDR content. There is no HDMI "1.4a" to offer the same boosts to HDR-ready 1080p displays. To ride the HDR train, your device better be rated HDMI 2.0a, or you're getting kicked off.

Rigby guessed last year that the PlayStation 4's HDMI controller is HDMI 2.0 compatible—meaning, it had been developed with higher bandwidth than the HDMI 1.4 spec required, and it just needed an official update via firmware to unlock and unleash that potential. Now, House has confirmed that it's coming, because anything rated for HDR specifications is technically also ready for 4K resolution.
Click to expand...

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/...rise-firmware-update-is-4k-around-the-corner/


It reads like a lot of guesswork, but it was funny seeing my Ars and Neogaf venn diagrams converge.

This HDR thing remains confusing and Sony really does need to come out and clarify what's going on with it.

This is just HDR though, they don't support UHD Blu Rays if that's what he also claimed, but the guesswork about the chipset was along a similar path.

Semi-props to him then if Ars isn't wrong.
 
Rellik

Rellik

Member
NewDust said:
He was mentioned (called out) by Penello, not in name but in tought. Jeff was already (in) famous.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but Penello didn't mention him by name (Although we all knew on here who he was referring to)

It won't be long until he has his own podcast and t-shirt store.
 
R

randomengine

Banned
Rigby's argument was that 4K was possible, due to the controller. Maybe it still is, however is the PS4 capable of 4K playback? Not for games, surely, but maybe for films. Again, Rigby was right, whether Sony will cough up the necessary licenses to allow PS4's to be UHD players is another question. That he said they would was a guess on his part.
 
Q

Quixzlizx

Member
You can stream UHD HDR movies. Vudu and Netflix both offer some titles in that format.

UHD BDs need a physical BD drive upgrade, I'm guessing.
 
Rellik

Rellik

Member
georaldc said:
But rigby's threads were always about UHD resolutions right? Spelling wise, UHD doesn't look like HDR
Click to expand...

The article thinks UHD BD is just a matter of Sony not paying the licensing fees.

I'm nowhere near knowledgable enough to know how true or BS that is. But it does slightly cover the UHD-Rigby thing.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
randomengine said:
Rigby's argument was that 4K was possible, due to the controller. Maybe it still is, however is the PS4 capable of 4K playback? Not for games, surely, but maybe for films. Again, Rigby was right, whether Sony will cough up the necessary licenses to allow PS4's to be UHD players is another question. That he said they would was a guess on his part.
Click to expand...


His argument was that uhd blu ray disc playback was possible. Nobody (sensible) denied that hdr and even a 4k video signal were theoretically possible. But his primary claim was 100% incorrect.


Jeff also continually adjusted his claims and ignored evidence to the contrary and is not a "victim" as he is occasionally painted.

So far...
 
S

Slaythe

Member
For fuck sake.

Rigby threw a ton of shit at the wall, one ended up sticking, and now he's an oracle.

Ok then.

Being 90% wrong doesn't matter if you guessed 10% correctly I guess.
 
J

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
SlimySnake said:
wait a second. Jeff Rigby was right? Are you fucking serious? lolol
Click to expand...

He mentioned off-hand once or twice that HDR support would be coming, but this was merely an element of his broader theory that the PS4 and X1 would retroactively receive UHD BD support as opposed to the crux itself. Many people, GAFers included, confused HDR with UHD BD, though.
 
Oppo

Oppo

Member
georaldc said:
But rigby's threads were always about UHD resolutions right? Spelling wise, UHD doesn't look like HDR
Click to expand...

same requirements for both, it seems.

I never thought Rigby was way off base technically, it just didn't take into account political ramifications. Like, Sony pushing a streaming service.
 
W

wesleyshark

Banned
Stinkles said:
His argument was that uhd blu ray disc playback was possible. Nobody (sensible) denied that hdr and even a 4k video signal were theoretically possible. But his primary claim was 100% incorrect.


Jeff also continually adjusted his claims and ignored evidence to the contrary and is not a "victim" as he is occasionally painted.

So far...
Click to expand...
.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Nerfgun said:
same requirements for both, it seems.

I never thought Rigby was way off base technically, it just didn't take into account political ramifications. Like, Sony pushing a streaming service.
Click to expand...


He was also off base technically. HDR is not UHD disc playback any more than My Little Pony is Citizen Kane.
 
M

marlowesghost

Member
Stinkles said:
His argument was that uhd blu ray disc playback was possible. Nobody (sensible) denied that hdr and even a 4k video signal were theoretically possible. But his primary claim was 100% incorrect.


Jeff also continually adjusted his claims and ignored evidence to the contrary and is not a "victim" as he is occasionally painted.

So far...
Click to expand...

So much this.
 
Oppo

Oppo

Member
Stinkles said:
He was also off base technically. HDR is not UHD disc playback any more than My Little Pony is Citizen Kane.
Click to expand...

Of course – I was referring to the HDMI 2.0a requirement for both HDR and UHD. So if they can flash the firmware to support HDR, that seems to support the notion, or am I missing something?
 
N

Noobcraft

Member
Nobody even knows if the firmware update is enabling true 10 bit HDR yet, or whether 4k HDR enabled sets will recognize the signal.
 
W

wesleyshark

Banned
backflip10019 said:
Who is Rigby.
Click to expand...

Tin_foil_hat_2.jpg
 
P

Piccoro

Member
Nerfgun said:
Of course – I was referring to the HDMI 2.0a requirement for both HDR and UHD. So if they can flash the firmware to support HDR, that seems to support the notion, or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

UHD requires HDMI 2.0, HDR requires 2.0a, which is even more demanding, and the OG PS4 will have it next week...
 
J

JohngPR

Member
georaldc said:
But rigby's threads were always about UHD resolutions right? Spelling wise, UHD doesn't look like HDR
Click to expand...

But you need a higher standard to do HDR than you do UHD...so it's not a crazy notion as it seemd before now that we know that every PS4 can do HDR.
 
B

benny_a

extra source of jiggaflops
Nerfgun said:
Of course – I was referring to the HDMI 2.0a requirement for both HDR and UHD. So if they can flash the firmware to support HDR, that seems to support the notion, or am I missing something?
Click to expand...
I'm not into the media aspect at all.

But wouldn't the Blu-Ray drive inside the PS4 not also need to be able to read UHD BR discs. The requirement for UHD BR playback isn't just HDMI 2.0a, right?
 
V

ViciousDS

Banned
JaseC said:
He mentioned off-hand once or twice that HDR support would be coming, but this was merely an element of his broader theory that the PS4 and X1 would retroactively receive UHD BD support as opposed to the crux itself. Many people, GAFers included, confused HDR with UHD BD, though.
Click to expand...

that entire thread thought HDR = UHD blu-ray


dear god
 
Oppo

Oppo

Member
Piccoro said:
UHD requires HDMI 2.0, HDR requires 2.0a, which is even more demanding, and the OG PS4 will have it next week...
Click to expand...

Yes, this is what I'm saying, Rigby was right about that aspect.

benny_a said:
But wouldn't the Blu-Ray drive inside the PS4 not also need to be able to read UHD BR discs. The requirement for UHD BR playback isn't just HDMI 2.0a, right?
Click to expand...

It's hard to find good answers but there isn't a huge difference in physical structure between the discs, if it can read a triple layer blu ray, then the rest is encoding I think. I'm not certain.

There are some LG drives that can be flashed to read UHDs, it's not out of the question.
 
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