Until 4k TV came, just about every High definition TV received content from a Bluray player, computer, cable box, Satellite box, media player or a game box using HDMI cable. The first generation 4k TVs had HDMI 1.4 but only did 24frames per second at 4K resolution. That allowed only 4k content without too much motion. Most store displays showed a snake crawling or may be a really slow fish in a fish tank or just still photos panned slowly. Then came HDMI 2.0 also known as HDMI UHD which can do 60 frames per second and these TVs had a codec known as High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC) as well as another codec known as VP9. So do you have to dump your existing 4K TV that you bought 1 yr ago and waiting for content? I would not worry. Most of the new content is coming on youtube or netflix or some other service over the internet.
I boldly predict that sooner than later, HDMI will be replaced by a new cable or none at all. Every high definition TV has wireless or wired connection to internet. It can easily support the bit rate required for 4k 60 frames per second. Just for Legacy, may be there will be a single HDMI input. If you really want many HDMI inputs you are better off with a low cost AV receiver anyway. Similarly MHL in smart phones to connect to TV may be replaced by wireless or a faster USB known as USB-C which when connected to your TV with USB-C may charge your phone really fast.
All the content is created in compressed form anyway. There is really no need for so many devices to uncompress it and send uncompressed signal to the TV because the TV can uncompress it directly.
As the chips get smaller and pack in more, HEVC compression and uncompression in real time with low latency will come to smartphones supporting 4K. So, the compressed content can be sent over wireless to the TV.
Also, the HEVC codec can be used in the phones to lower the bandwidth and data use by the phones to display even non HD content.
TV vendors and phone vendors want to get rid of connectors and consumers like the simple TV with very few things to connect.
Once there is no need to uncompress and send to the TV, it is then possible to route the content over wire or wireless network. This is the holy grail of very few set top boxes which cable or sat TV vendor would love to get rid of and move to what is know as over the top.
I boldly predict that sooner than later, HDMI will be replaced by a new cable or none at all. Every high definition TV has wireless or wired connection to internet. It can easily support the bit rate required for 4k 60 frames per second. Just for Legacy, may be there will be a single HDMI input. If you really want many HDMI inputs you are better off with a low cost AV receiver anyway. Similarly MHL in smart phones to connect to TV may be replaced by wireless or a faster USB known as USB-C which when connected to your TV with USB-C may charge your phone really fast.
All the content is created in compressed form anyway. There is really no need for so many devices to uncompress it and send uncompressed signal to the TV because the TV can uncompress it directly.
As the chips get smaller and pack in more, HEVC compression and uncompression in real time with low latency will come to smartphones supporting 4K. So, the compressed content can be sent over wireless to the TV.
Also, the HEVC codec can be used in the phones to lower the bandwidth and data use by the phones to display even non HD content.
TV vendors and phone vendors want to get rid of connectors and consumers like the simple TV with very few things to connect.
Once there is no need to uncompress and send to the TV, it is then possible to route the content over wire or wireless network. This is the holy grail of very few set top boxes which cable or sat TV vendor would love to get rid of and move to what is know as over the top.
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