HDMI Alt Mode was basically dead on arrival.<p>The computer world pretty much standardized on DisplayPort already, so USB-C devices would already have to support DisplayPort Alt Mode anyways. Why add support for <i>yet another</i> Alt Mode when DP-to-HDMI converter chips are dirt cheap, and pretty much all USB-C-to-HDMI cables will be using those anyways due to the aforementioned DP ubiquity.<p>One thing which really bothers me is that all those Alt Mode specifications are proprietary. USB-C itself is a completely open spec and anyone can download the PDFs from their website - but the Alt Modes require you to join the VESA / HDMI consortium, with an associated member fee and NDA.
It may be worth adding "(2016)" to the title, otherwise people are going to think like this dead tech is somehow relevant today ;)<p>If you're confused, read <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/01/hdmi-to-usb-c-spec-axed-as-displayport-alt-mode-reigns-supreme/" rel="nofollow">https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/01/hdmi-to-usb-c-spec-a...</a>
Yeah, this is what a lot of people don't get: HDMI Alt mode has failed to launch, a lot of devices out there just use the DP alt mode when trying to output video out of a type C port.<p>When you have a C-to-HDMI (eg <a href="https://frame.work/products/hdmi-expansion-card" rel="nofollow">https://frame.work/products/hdmi-expansion-card</a>) it's more like .... C-to-DP(implicit in type C)-to-HDMI. If you have a monitor that has both DP and HDMI you probably want to get yourself a simple C-to-DP cable as there's no active conversion going on so it's more likely to work.
It's alas unlikely but oh how grand it would be to not need HDMI.<p>USB4 ports mandatorily have DisplayPort output, on each port. HDMI is not going to catch up. It is an expensive proprietary system & won't ever match the availability.
not a lot of details in this but I'm curious how the AC-coupled USB-C interface works with the DC-coupled HDMI. typically there would be a DP-to-HDMI convertor in the cable plug and just use DP alt-mode but this specifically says:<p>"This allows native HDMI features and capabilities to be utilized in a source device and to be directly connected to any HDMI display. Other Alt Mode solutions do not enable HDMI-specific features and also require converters and connector adapters to connect to HDMI-enabled displays. A simple HDMI to USB Type-C cable can be used to connect USB Type-C devices to native HDMI displays."
So… the same connector as Thunderbolt, and it can deliver video like Thunderbolt. And in both cases it’s running DisplayPort over the connector.<p>So there were two different ways to run DP over a cable with a USB-C connector.<p>Sounds like it’s good it’s dead.
USB Type-C is such a mistake for video connectivity. It just doesn’t work most of the time and when it works, any tiny move of the USB Type-C cable breaks it down.