I've always thought that HDMI 2.1 on TVs maxes out at 4K 120Hz, which seems to be the norm for devices like the PS5 and Xbox. I'm looking into the specs for the Hisense E7 Pro, which claims to support native 144Hz output through HDMI. Is this the real deal, or just some marketing hype? If it's legit, does HDMI 2.1 have enough bandwidth to handle 4K at 144Hz without having to downgrade to lower chroma subsampling? I'm planning to use this for PC gaming, so I'm concerned that hitting 144Hz might mean sacrificing quality, like going down to 4:2:2 or 4:2:0, which could make text look blurry. Has anyone confirmed if full 4:4:4 RGB is achievable at that refresh rate using HDMI?
3 Answers
For sure, HDMI 2.1 can manage that refresh rate! Just remember to grab an "Ultra High Speed" or "Ultra 96" cable to make the most of it.
Yes, HDMI 2.1 can do 4K at 144Hz! The key is that it usually uses a feature called DSC (Display Stream Compression) to achieve this. So, it’s not just some marketing trick; a PC can definitely recognize this mode. But be cautious, as many TVs drop to 4:2:2 chroma subsampling at 144Hz. If you want sharp text, going for 4K at 120Hz with full 4:4:4 is often the safer choice unless you can confirm that your specific model supports full chroma at 144Hz.
Most likely, you'll stick to 120Hz unless you get a really expensive cable.
Actually, HDMI 2.1 can support 4K at 144Hz without needing DSC.