DisplayPort 1.2 released, offers extensive stereo support

[DmitryKo]

VESA DisplayPort 1.2 press release
DisplayPort 1.2 press event at CES 2010 (22 Mbytes)

Key features:

• DP 1.2 doubles the effective bandwidth to 17.3 Gbit/s (clock doubles to 5.4 GHz per channel)
• AUX channel bandwidth optionally increases to 720 Mbit/s, allows incapsulating bi-drectional USB 2.0 and 100 Mbit Ethernet
• multiple independent audio and video streams and multiple destinations over single cable
  • each stream can have arbitrary format
• consumer HD audio formats (Dolby Digital/Plus/TrueHD, DTS/HD-HRA/HD-MA, DRA), lip sync synchronization
• bandwidth enough for
  • one 3840x2160 x30 bpp @60 Hz video stream
  • stereo 3840x2160 x30 bpp @24 Hz video
  • stereo 2560x1600 x30 bpp @60 Hz video
  • four 1920x1200 x24 bpp @60 Hz video streams
  • stereo 1920x1080 x24 bpp @120 Hz video (yep, 120 Hz per eye!)
• 3D Stereo transmission formats:
  • frame sequential
  • field sequential (interlaced)
  • side by side
  • pixel interleaved (probably includes checkerboard and line/column interleaving)
  • dual DP interface
  • support for stacked 3D displays (I guess)
• 3D Stereo capability declaration:
  • Mono, Stereo, 3D Glasses (HMD)

BTW, DisplayPort 1.1a (2008) does support frame sequential and field sequential stereo at up to 1080p60 per eye by providing control messages for L-R frame/field marking

Past news:
DisplayPort 1.2 takes stereo 3D into consideration
Common stereoscopic video resolutions and bandwidth

[cybereality]

Cool.

[rajkosto]

great, but still 5xxx only have the older version with less bandwidth and less stereo support...

[DmitryKo]

The presentation says first products are expected by the end of 2010. Hopefully 120 Hz DisplayPort monitors would start appearing by then.

Edit: huh, I'm sure was there was a different question when I submitted this...

[BlackShark]

great, but still 5xxx only have the older version with less bandwidth and less stereo support...

Well if DP1.1 already has support for stereo (2x) 1920x1080x24bitx60Hz with Frame/field marking i think there won't be any problem for the next few years...

[DmitryKo]

great, but still 5xxx only have the older version with less bandwidth and less stereo support...

I'd suggest that graphics cards can be quite easily upgraded to support more stereoscopic formats - any special video signal timings can be added and overriden right in the drivers, and higher clocks are always optional, so it's only a matter of supporting the necessary control messages; I need to check with the DP 1.2 standard when it becomes available.

However, 120 Hz sequential 1080p stereo will be the most popular format on the PC for years to come, and DP1.1a does support it.

More than that, since DP1.1a features sequential frame marking, a standard 3-pin VESA Stereo plug can be incorporated right in the monitor, allowing the use of any VESA-compatible shuter glasses - that would be of most interest to Radeon owners, since Nvidia does not support VESA plug anymore, and AMD/ATI has already been making progress with support for 3rd-party stereo drivers and USB emitters or glasses (how would you like wired USB shutter glasses when you already wear a wired headset for in-game chatting? )

[DmitryKo]

I need to check with the DP 1.2 standard when it becomes available

Free no more, now it's $3,000 for non-members 8-O
With other VESA standards at $350 per copy, I wonder how many copies of DisplayPort 1.2 standard VESA have sold so far...