HDMI LA Beefs Up Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts With Latest Series of Cables

HDMI LA anti-counterfeiting measures are a key part of HDMI Licensing Administrator efforts to ensure licensed and compliant products reach the market, Rob Tobias, CEO, HDMI LA, told us in a Friday briefing. Consumers can scan a QR code and holographic image on packaging to determine if a product at retail is legitimate, he said, and the holographic image can be successfully scanned only by the HDMI Cable Certification app. The organization works with international law enforcement and customs and borders officials to do factory raids, product seizures and takedowns of counterfeit product listings on e-commerce and social media, Tobias said, to ensure authorized resellers and consumers can buy legitimate products. The HDMI Forum released HDMI 2.1 last year and products are widely available that support the latest HDMI spec features including 4K 120Hz, 8K 60Hz, dynamic HDR and enhanced ARC, he said. At CES, TV makers will promote HDMI 2.1 in sets to support the latest PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles. HDMI 2.1 includes variable refresh rate, auto low-latency mode and quick frame transport. Fixed rate link mode ensures a more robust video delivery over an HDMI 2.1 cable by using a forward error correction method, combined with a link training protocol, which adapts the link rate, if necessary. The HDMI Forum is also promoting HDMI cable power, which allows cables to be powered directly from an HDMI connector, without attaching a separate power cable.