But the more important implication here is that any device utilizing USB-C will be able to output video to HDMI displays directly, without fumbling around protocols and converters as well.
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Only one side of this cable can be reversed.
When USB Type-C first showed up in smartphones like the OnePlus 2, it was originally thought of as nothing more than a reversible cable, and another reason to go out and buy new cables.
HDMI Alt Mode will support the full range of HDMI 1.4b features including 4K resolutions, Audio Return Channel (ARC), 3D, HDMI Ethernet Channel and Consumer Electronic Control (CEC). For now, odds are that most of your displays already have HDMI ports.
While DisplayPort has been compatible with USB for some time now, this is nevertheless a major development for HDMI, which is much more common on PC monitors and has become the default connector for modern televisions. “HDMI continues to evolve to meet the needs of the over 1,600 worldwide adopters making HDMI products, and grow upon the almost six billion HDMI devices shipped”.
Alt Mode, which stands for Alternative Mode, allows non-USB signals to be carried through a USB-C cable. The cable will single-handedly project the content from the USB Type-C device to an HDMI-enabled devices.
A lot of people were intrigued when the USB Type-C made its way into the markets.
HDMI Licensing, LLC is the agent that licenses the HDMI Specification. The specification is available to all active HDMI Adopters. The HDMI Founders are Hitachi Maxell, Ltd; Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.; Lattice Semiconductor; Panasonic Corporation; Sony Corporation; Technicolor S.A. and Toshiba Corporation.
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Aside from ridding the world of pricey dongles for laptop users, HDMI Alt Mode could also cut down on the plethora of HDMI connectors used on other devices. With this, manufacturers can create a single cable that can connect an HDTV to a USB Type-C port without an adapter.
