this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2025
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The HDMI Forum, responsible for the HDMI specification, continues to stonewall open source. Valve's Steam Machine theoretically supports HDMI 2.1, but the mini-PC is software-limited to HDMI 2.0. As a result, more than 60 frames per second at 4K resolution are only possible with limitations.

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[–] turbowafflz@lemmy.world 316 points 3 months ago (24 children)

Console manufacturers all just need to switch to displayport to encourage tv manufacturers to do the same. No one's going to not buy a ps6 or steam machine because they have to use a little dp-hdmi adapter, but they might be a little more likely to choose a tv that doesn't need an adapter over one that does

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 57 points 3 months ago (2 children)

What about shipping an adaptor? DP to HDMI for the transition?

[–] chocrates@piefed.world 16 points 3 months ago (16 children)

Can dp even translate to HDMI with a "dumb" adapter?

[–] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 59 points 3 months ago

DP can do HDMI natively.

HDMI needs an active adapter to support DP.

[–] mybuttnolie@sopuli.xyz 21 points 3 months ago (3 children)

yes, i have a dp to hdmi 2.1 cable that cost like 35€. it works fine except each time i get up from my chair the screen flashes white. and no VRR.

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[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 3 months ago

Yes, DP converts to HDMI natively. But because HDMI has so much proprietary BS built in, going from HDMI to DP requires an active adapter which strips out the proprietary BS.

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[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 27 points 3 months ago

Good point!

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[–] tty5@lemmy.world 242 points 3 months ago (4 children)

HDMI Forum has fewer than 80 members and membership fee is 15,000 USD/year. Valve could spin up 80 companies, have them join the forum for a low low price of 1.2M USD and outvote remaining members to open source the entire spec.

[–] BreadstickNinja@lemmy.world 165 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This is hilariously plausible. Someone SCUBA down to Gabe and give him the idea.

[–] Katana314@lemmy.world 22 points 3 months ago (1 children)

dives to 50 feet, removes tube from mouth to shout to Gabe, and fucking drowns

[–] utopiah@lemmy.world 17 points 3 months ago (6 children)

FWIW (and I know it's not the joke...) it's perfectly fine to remove the mouth piece while scuba diving. In fact it's part of basic training. You should be able to remove the mouth piece and take another one, your octopus or the one of your buddy, in case there is an incident.

No... the real question for a good diver is how the heck you're going to say HDMI 2.1 with hand signs! /s

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[–] hodgepodgin@lemmy.zip 101 points 3 months ago (8 children)

rofl, I hate billionaires but this would be peak trolling

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[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 29 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Does it have to be companies? Could individual people just have 15k, and join? We just need 81 new members.

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[–] Shoshin@aussie.zone 164 points 3 months ago (30 children)

Are people just forgetting it has a displayport also? Just ignore HDMI, they got greedy, onto the rubbish pile they go.

[–] pressanykeynow@lemmy.world 99 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The people who block HDMI for Linux are also the people who make TVs and other media stuff. So you may not be able to use displayport or hdmi just because some rich people decided so to make more profit.

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 41 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This is what I said the other day about this issue. Good luck finding a decent tv with display port! Those fuckers are rare and expensive!

[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 24 points 3 months ago (15 children)

They are called monitors, and yeah expensive but then you don't get a "Smart TV" with tracking and bullshit.

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[–] azvasKvklenko@sh.itjust.works 28 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Basically no modern TV has displayport except for few that come with USB-C

[–] LorIps@lemmy.world 27 points 3 months ago (4 children)

DisplayPort to HDMI adapters are quite cheap and don't add latency.

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 16 points 3 months ago (7 children)

The problem is that many TVs have HDMI, but no DP.

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[–] Kissaki@feddit.org 91 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (7 children)

https://hdmiforum.org/members/

AMD is part of the forum but can't get them to accept their own open source driver. I guess we can't complain or shame all of them in one. I wonder who voted reject vs accept.

Sad.

[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.zip 42 points 3 months ago

Then AMD needs to apply more leverage or start an awareness campaign with as much shit PR for every business supporting them.

[–] tty5@lemmy.world 27 points 3 months ago

Fewer than 80 members. 15k/year membership fee and very lax joining requirements. $1.2M gets you majority allowing you do to whatever even with 100% of current members opposing :P

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[–] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 76 points 3 months ago (1 children)

We need more DisplayPort in the world - and better support for multi-monitor setups under Linux.

[–] Kuro@feddit.org 20 points 3 months ago (15 children)

What are you missing in multi-monitor setups under Linux?

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[–] ramenshaman@lemmy.world 66 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I recently watched a video about HDMI. I didn't hate HDMI but now I kinda do.

https://youtube.com/shorts/ga8WOONU12k

[–] wavebeam@lemmy.world 43 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Unfortunately most standards bodies are pretty much this stupid though. Blu-ray, DVD, USB, hell even codecs like H265 and MP3 have governing bodies that are mostly enterprises enforcing their collective power on standards. That’s good in ways because it means they all have to decide on a standard that’ll work wihh to pretty much anything, but bad because they can also enforce bullying like HDCP onto consumers.

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[–] count_dongulus@lemmy.world 63 points 3 months ago (8 children)

It's $1.2M to gain majority share on the HDMI board, but it sure would be nice if someone gave $1.2M to one of the engineers with access to that cryptographic DRM keys for the binary to "apparently get hacked" and have the keys magically appear online.

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[–] OR3X@lemmy.world 39 points 3 months ago (6 children)

But why does the HDMI fourm not want a open source 2.1-compliant implementation? Is it DRM related? I feel like it's DRM related.

[–] Goretantath@lemmy.world 44 points 3 months ago (1 children)
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[–] bobs_monkey@lemmy.zip 25 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Likely moreso that they're facing pressure from other competitors in the industry that see Steam and open source in general as a threat to their business model. The HDMI forum is made up of industry leaders, and naturally Microsoft and Sony are there.

https://hdmiforum.org/members/

[–] Jesus_666@lemmy.world 32 points 3 months ago (4 children)

They've been refusing open HDMI 2.1 since 2017. I don't think that being afraid of Linux becoming the dominant gaming platform plays a role here; it's more likely that they're afraid people might find new ways to get at protected content.

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[–] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 36 points 3 months ago (1 children)

HDMI, what's that ?

sent from my DisplayPort monitor

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[–] tabular@lemmy.world 23 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I wish I could buy hardware without HMDI at all so they got no money from me.

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[–] Soapbox@lemmy.zip 22 points 3 months ago (4 children)

Not all software available on Linux is open source. NVIDIA drivers for example. Hell, most of the games on Steam are closed source.

So, is it just a matter of principle on Valve and AMD's part that they only want to ship with fully open source drivers?

I'm not technically knowledgeable enough to understand why you can't just make the HDMI 2.1 part of the driver code closed source and the rest of the graphics drivers open?

[–] turmacar@lemmy.world 19 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

Modern specs are complicated. I vaguely remember something about a cryptographic key the driver needs to be signed with to successfully complete the handshake to enable all display options between the computer and display.

Not entirely unwarranted either, an unexpected amount of voltage on an unexpected pin because the driver / hardware is misconfigured damaging your TV would suck. (Still sounds like the Forum is being a dick about it though.)

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[–] async_amuro@lemmy.zip 22 points 3 months ago (6 children)

Maybe a dumb question… if I used a DisplayPort to HDMI 2.1 adapter, would I get 4K at 120Hz on the Steam Machine and my LG CX tv? 

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[–] nialv7@lemmy.world 19 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Evil, greedy little bastards...

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