New DisplayPort 1.4a Standard Points to 8K Notebook and All-in-One Desktop Displays in 2016

[MacRumors]

The Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) yesterday announced a new Embedded DisplayPort Standard, version 1.4a, that the association claims "enables a higher video data transfer rate for increased panel resolution, greater color depth and higher refresh rates."

Along with other upgrades, the new standard will be able to take advantage of more advanced GPU video performance and display technologies, meaning a wider range of computing devices - laptops and all-in-one PCs like the iMac in particular - will be able to produce 8K content sometime next year.

The new standard is for "embedded" panels with the ability to produce up to 8K quality display images, meaning eDP 1.4a won't work with external displays. The current DisplayPort standard is 1.2a, with VESA having announced the next-generation 1.3 standard with 5K support last September.

Full support of DisplayPort 1.3 will, however, need to wait until Intel releases its next-generation Skylake chips late this year or early next year. Apple's current 5K Retina iMac uses a custom solution to manage its 5120 x 2880 display, and 8K displays supported under the future 1.4a standard would come in at 7680 x 4320 pixels.

These higher-resolution displays at 8K should result in a more power-hungry machine, but VESA claims its new Multi-SST Operation will support a Segmented Panel Display feature, bringing lighter, lower-cost display architecture to the new eDP standard. According to Vice President Bong-Hyun You of Samsung Display Co., Ltd., this new strategy can "reduce panel thickness, reduce power draw, and reduce cost."

According to Craig Wiley, senior director of marketing at Parade Technologies, VESA board member, and editor for eDP 1.4a, "The adoption of eDP for embedded displays is now positioned for growth as eDP 1.4a has become highly optimized, especially at resolutions above quad HD. Compared to other embedded interfaces, it has the richest feature set along with the lowest power, wire count and EMI radiation, particularly when used with high-resolution panels. It will continue to evolve, along with DisplayPort, but with its own unique features specifically optimized for embedded applications such as all-in-one PCs, notebooks, tablets and smart phones."

Currently, only select high-end television support 8K video playback, and the highest quality display Apple device is last year's 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K Display. Though not much content even exists to truly take advantage of an 8K display at this time, VESA's estimate of laptops, all-in-one PC's, and other devices gaining the new standard in 2016 may give enough time for the new technology to grow.

Article Link: New DisplayPort 1.4a Standard Points to 8K Notebook and All-in-One Desktop Displays in 2016

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

This could mean that the updated nMP as well as a all new rMB/MBA could have a 8k screen.

 

[aaronvan]

I want 8K on my MBP.

 

[sp3k0psv3t]

Great....

Like we have a need lol.

JK

Advancement is GOOD!

 

[NutsNGum]

Gonna need some new eyeballs.

 

[0007776]

I can see this being nice in really large desktop screens, but would you really be able to see enough of a difference in a laptop screen to be worth the extra power consumption?

 

[macaddict06]

What's the point?

I mean, I get it that 8k is better than 4k, but is this something realistic for a laptop? Put another way, given the distance at which laptops are used and the realistic constraints on their size, does a 15" 8k display even make sense?

 

[timmknopf]

so, no new thunderbolt display till 2016? duh -_-'

 

[Technodynamic]

I mean, I get it that 8k is better than 4k, but is this something realistic for a laptop? Put another way, given the distance at which laptops are used and the realistic constraints on their size, does a 15" 8k display even make sense?

exactly. 8k imac 27" is prob equivalent to my 15" retina macpro in pixel density.

 

[needfx]

Gonna need some new eyeballs.

you can transplant a new pair from a mantis shrimp.

 

[macgenius15]

I mean, I get it that 8k is better than 4k, but is this something realistic for a laptop? Put another way, given the distance at which laptops are used and the realistic constraints on their size, does a 15" 8k display even make sense?

maybe it means it will be able to drive an 8K display, and not necessarily have a built in 8K display on a rMBP. The current resolution is quite impressive, and more pixels might not have that much an advantage.

 

[aaronvan]

you can transplant a new pair from a mantis shrimp.

Cool! Do we get their supersonic claws, too?

 

[Jetfire]

What no 16k support?

 

[viorelgn]

I'm waiting for 16K displays for my future 2027 MBA. 8K is so 2016's for me.

 

[redheeler]

This could mean that the updated nMP as well as a all new rMB/MBA could have a 8k screen.

Slow down... The Mac Pro would be lucky to get 5K support this year and the MBA would be lucky to get 2560x1600.

 

[J. Jizzle]

What do we need 8K for at this moment? We are just now getting devices that can actually record in true 4K, so what's the point of having screens that can handle 8K when there aren't any devices that can record in that true of a resolution?

If Apple is charging $2500 for a standard configured 5K iMac I can only scream in horror at what an 8K iMac would cost!!

 

[afsnyder]

Who else thinks we should have everything Retina before we move up in resolution for those already Retina...

 

[0098386]

Next, I'd like Apple to put video cards in that can run at those resolutions.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I'm waiting for 16K displays for my future 2027 MBA. 8K is so 2016's for me.

16 K not until 2027? I doubt it. You're only talking about doubling the number of pixels from 8K, which is 2016, so I would expect 16K to be available in 2018... or by 2020 at the latest (might go slower than technically possible since I don't know anyone will care to develop it).

 

[truettray]

I love living in the future.

 

[rekhyt]

Next, I'd like Apple to put video cards in that can run at those resolutions.

B-b-but they said Apple was phasing out discrete graphics cards for MacBook Pros...

 

[Jetfire]

What do we need 8K for at this moment? We are just now getting devices that can actually record in true 4K, so what's the point of having screens that can handle 8K when there aren't any devices that can record in that true of a resolution?

If Apple is charging $2500 for a standard configured 5K iMac I can only scream in horror at what an 8K iMac would cost!!

For super size tvs, like 70+ inches

 

[avanpelt]

8K on a MBP? Pass. I'd rather have 40-50 hour battery life with today's retina screens than 10 hours of battery life with an 8K screen.

 

[sdvinin]

I don't need embedded 8K! I need 10K, standalone 5K Apple display and ability to connect two of them to MBP.

 

[Henriok]

Is there any main stream device that uses the Panel Self Refresh (PSR) feature of DisplayPort? I find it extremely cool and useful, so why isn't it everywhere?