AMD Demoing AdaptiveSync Over HDMI At Computex [Anandtech]

Sharkyx1 · June 4, 2015

While AMD wasn’t the first GPU vendor to implement a system for variable refresh, the company has made up for lost time with zeal. Since demonstrating their FreeSync proof-of-concept laptop demo back at CES 2014, AMD has since been able to get the necessary signaling and refresh technology implemented into the DisplayPort standard as an optional annex of 1.2a, more commonly known DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync. With DPAS implemented into monitors, AMD has been able to roll out their FreeSync implementation of variable refresh back in March of this year, when the first DPAS-enabled monitors shipped.

Since then AMD has been relatively quiet (no doubt gearing up for their big GPU launch). However as it turns out they have been hard at work at expanding FreeSync past the realm of DisplayPort monitors, and they are for the first time showing off that technology at their suite at Computex 2015.
AMD's demonstration and the big revelation from the company is that they now have a prototype implementation of FreeSync-over-HDMI up and running. Powered by an R9 200 series card (we'd wager 290X), AMD's demonstration involved running their windmill FreeSync demo against the prototype FreeSync-enabled HDMI monitor to showcase the viability of FreeSync-over-HDMI.

This is pretty huge as the current landscape has plenty of DP ports on higher end devices and ones built specifically for gaming, but plenty of more "consumer grade" displays can be limited to just DVI and HDMI, and further yet, it would be any easy bet to say the vast majority of display panels are televisions, which currently likely only sport multiple HDMI ports and one vga in rarer cases.

If a spec for Adaptive Sync could be developed for HDMI and spread over Televisions and other devices, it could be a landmark step for getting it to the masses and possibly even video game consoles, which would be huge for that market if it could be done

Source:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9337/amd-shows-freesyncoverhdmi-concept-at-computex-2015

Joshosaurus · June 4, 2015

Repost: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/379335-amd-demonstrates-freesync-over-hdmi/

Deletive · June 4, 2015

Well thats quite an interesting move by AMD. But I don't see a need for adaptive sync on devices at output at the a set framerate other then maybe a move but I don't even think Nvidia's GSync supports 24fps. (could be wrong) .

Sharkyx1 · June 4, 2015

Repost: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/379335-amd-demonstrates-freesync-over-hdmi/

Damn you faster posters, i looked but didn't see it

Thanks, ill go take my comments over there.

Grrizz · June 4, 2015

Well thats quite an interesting move by AMD. But I don't see a need for adaptive sync on devices at output at the a set framerate other then maybe a move but I don't even think Nvidia's GSync supports 24fps. (could be wrong) .

It does with frame doubling (quadrupling etc.), runs at 48fps and displays the same frame twice, it starts doing it anytime it goes under ~30fps.

Humbug · June 4, 2015

It does with frame doubling (quadrupling etc.), runs at 48fps and displays the same frame twice, it starts doing it anytime it goes under ~30fps.

Yes. This is one area that G-Sync still scores over freesync; handling of low framerates under the dynamic refresh rate windows. AMD should implement a similar mechanism. I think it would be theoretically possible to do via a driver update; the way the GPU frame buffer is handled would have to be changed. They did admit to pcper that the current solution wasn't ideal and to stay tuned; so hopefully they have a fix coming