HDMI 2.0a Firmware Upgrade to 2.1?

It needs specific hardware to support it. If MS are enabling it in the Xbox One X then that means the hardware is there, they've just not been using it.
 
It needs specific hardware to support it. If MS are enabling it in the Xbox One X then that means the hardware is there, they've just not been using it.

The actual article states:

which will give all Xbox One X consoles the ability to use a few select HDMI 2.1 features.

So it doesn't sound like full 2.1 functionality
 
The actual article states:



So it doesn't sound like full 2.1 functionality

2.1 is pretty wide ranging and I don't believe the manufacturers need to support all of it to claim they support HDMI 2.1. MS may want to use 4k @120Hz for example or HFR, but they probably won't implement 8K@60Hz.

Nevertheless, the HDMI chipset has to be capable of supporting those features for them to be enabled and the same is also true of the OLED TVs that the OP referred to.

There's some good info about it all in this thread: HDMI Version 2.1 Specification Announced
 
Will there be HDMI 2.1 firmware updates rolled out for current 2.0a devices?

Thats impossible.
The full 2.1 spec requires a 2.1 chipset.
You cant make a 2.0 chipset a 2.1 chipset via software.

If , and its a big if , the current 2.0 hardware has enough bandwidth overhead built in you may be able to add some minor features of the new 2.1 specification to 2.0 hardware , these will be features that don't require too much extra bandwidth , like eARC etc.

Something like 4K at 120fps is a doubling of bandwidth , from approx 18gbps to 36gbps , that is highly unlikely to happen as a firmware upgrade.
 
I would have thought that the manufacturers have implemented decent HDMI chipsets in the top end sets. It's not as if HDMI 2.1 came out of nowhere in November - the manufacturers would have been contributing towards specifications over the last few years. What we need to know is how much bandwidth the non 8-10k features requires. eARC obviosuly requires more bandwidth to support the lossless audio codecs, HFR will clearly need more bandwidth (more frames per second of information) and I'm not sure about VRR and QMS. I would really hope that the big four will roll out most of these as firmware updates but I can't help shake the feeling that they are waiting to see if they can get away with holding them back as features for 2019 (even if next years' models still don't ship with HDMI 2.1). Samsung has caved on VRR this year but I think they're really going after gamers this year with all the burn-in and input lag advertising.
 
I would have thought that the manufacturers have implemented decent HDMI chipsets in the top end sets.

Manufacturers do what they have to do and use chipsets conforming to the spec.
They will all slightly exceed the current maximum bandwidth of approx 18 Gbps as you need headroom, but none will exceed it by more than a few percent.


eARC sends lossless audio over arc, that involves a max bandwidth increase of say, 6mbps to 18mbps...note “mbps” so a relatively small increase.

Most video formats would involve high percentage bandwidth increases in gbps and simply are not possible.
 

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