HDMI&USB-C: New Developments in the Audio and Video Cable Industry

With the continuous growth of 8K video, enterprise conference room renovation, home theater, and various professional studio projects, the standards for audio and video transmission cables and supporting chips continue to iterate. Recently, multiple overseas standard organizations, wire manufacturers, and semiconductor companies have successively released updates to promote further upgrades of engineering grade and consumer grade audio and video wiring products.

HDMI 2.1a welcomes important amendment, adding Cable Power cable power supply function

• HDMI LA officially released HDMI 2.1a Amendment 1 on August 25, 2026, introducing the new feature of HDMI Cable Power.
• For active HDMI cables over 5 meters in length, the new standard allows the cable to directly obtain power from the signal source device, eliminating the need for an external power adapter. The cable distinguishes between the signal source end and the display end, and belongs to a unidirectional structure. If the interface is reversed, the device will not be damaged, but signal transmission cannot be completed normally.
• This function mainly solves the power supply problem of long-distance active HDMI wiring in engineering installation and home theater scenes, reduces on-site adapter wiring, and simplifies the construction of the entire audio-visual system. The newly launched long-distance active HDMI 2.1 products in the future will gradually implement this new specification.

Kordz releases passive HDMI 2.1 cables for engineering and marine use, to be showcased at CEDIA Expo 2026

• Overseas professional AV cable manufacturer Kordz will release the R.4 series passive HDMI cable products on August 18, 2026.
• The product fully supports 48Gbps bandwidth and is compatible 8K@60Hz 、 All HDMI 2.1 core functions such as eARC and VRR. The product is divided into machine room rack version and ocean ship version. The ship model adopts LSZH low smoke halogen-free sheath, and the joints are reinforced with locking structure to enhance the ability to resist electromagnetic interference.
• All products have been certified by DPL Labs third-party laboratory and come with a lifetime warranty. This series of products will be exhibited at the CEDIA Expo in Denver, USA in September. The requirements for HDMI cable shielding, fire resistance, and mechanical durability are constantly increasing in high reliability scenarios such as maritime, yacht, and commercial computer rooms.

Semtech launches SDI HDMI conversion chip to lower the threshold for AV over IP device development

• On August 26, 2026, Semtech released the GS12170 bridge chip to the public. The chip realizes bidirectional conversion between SDI signals and HDMI signals, with the characteristics of small size and low power consumption, and is widely compatible with video extenders, signal converters, 4K monitors, and studio equipment.
• Synchronize and open up free SDVoE software management tools to help hardware manufacturers reduce the development difficulty of AV over IP devices based on Ethernet transmission. In studio and large conference room projects, the market demand for HDMI SDI conversion equipment and network cable transmission audio and video solutions is continuously increasing.

Teledyne LeCroy updates USB4 2.0 cable protocol testing plan

• Testing equipment manufacturer Teledyne LeCroy will update its testing equipment on August 25, 2026, adding the ability to test asymmetric links of USB4 V2.0 and Thunderbolt 5 cables.
• Overseas brand owners and import distributors are paying increasing attention to the performance testing of USB-C and USB4 high-speed cables. Wires need to pass complete protocol testing in order to avoid bandwidth shortages, abnormal video output, compatibility failures, and reduce terminal project failures and after-sales issues during use.

PureLink joins SDVoE Alliance to expand USB-C audio and video solutions for enterprise conference rooms

• German AV manufacturer PureLink announced on August 26, 2026 that it has officially joined the SDVoE alliance, further improving the entire wiring solution for BYOD’s built-in equipment conference rooms. We will focus on iterating USB-C to HDMI products and HDBaseT6A Ethernet transmission systems for educational institutions and corporate conference room renovation projects.
• In the European market, enterprise conference room renovation projects remain active, with USB-C serving as a unified input interface, driving a large demand for the procurement of adapters, audio and video cables, and network cable wiring kits.

Summary

• From a series of recent overseas technological updates and new product releases, it can be seen that the professional audio and video cable industry has two clear directions: on the one hand, high-speed interface protocols such as HDMI and USB4 continue to upgrade, and active cable power supply and signal conversion chips are constantly optimized; On the other hand, in engineering, maritime, and commercial conference room scenarios, more emphasis is placed on third-party certification, shielding performance, fire-resistant sheaths, and overall installation convenience.
• The industry exhibition CEDIA Expo 2026 is about to open, and there will be more AV cabling new products released to the public in the future, which is worth continuing to pay attention to.

FAQ

• Will the Cable Power feature of HDMI 2.1a be compatible with older HDMI devices?
• Cable Power belongs to the newly added amendment feature of HDMI 2.1a, which is only supported by the new active HDMI cable. Old devices can transmit audio and video signals normally, but they cannot use the ability to draw power from the signal end. Long distance wiring may still require an external power adapter.
• What is the core difference between engineering grade HDMI cables and regular consumer HDMI cables?
• Enhanced shielding and anti-interference measures have been implemented for the engineering project, with some using LSZH low smoke halogen-free outer covers and locking structures at the joints. It has third-party certification and is suitable for long-term stable operation in computer rooms, yachts, and commercial projects; Ordinary household cables do not meet commercial installation standards.
• Why does USB4 cable need to undergo protocol compliance testing?
• Many USB-C cables on the market have the same appearance, but there are significant differences in bandwidth and video output capabilities. The cable that has undergone complete protocol testing can avoid bandwidth shrinkage, video flicker, compatibility failures, and reduce the after-sales risk of B-end projects.