There are many innovations that the new HDMI 2.1 standard has brought under the arm, and among them is the Quick Frame Transport (QFT) technology that promises a better gaming experience, but of which they have not given too many details. In this article we are going to tell you what QFT consists of, how it works and how it will benefit gaming .
HDMI 2.1 has been welcomed with open arms by lovers of ultra-high definition, as the standard now supports faster refresh rates and better resolutions, including 8K resolution at 60Hz and 4K resolution at 120Hz (actually supports , a maximum resolution of 10240 x 4320 pixels, equivalent to 10K). But it is those technologies with names of acronyms that have gone the most unnoticed with the establishment of this standard and that need further explanation, so let’s get to it.
What is Quick Frame Transport (QFT) and how does it work?
It is one of the star characteristics of HDMI 2.1, as they promise to help reduce latencies for a better gaming experience (reducing input lag) and, especially, a virtual reality experience in real time, without delays.
QFT allows to transport each frame of the image at a higher speed to decrease the display latency , understanding by this the amount of time that passes between a frame is ready for transport on the GPU and when it is displayed on the screen. This latency is the sum of the transport time through the source output circuits, the transport time through the interface, the processing of video data on the screen, and the generation of the image on the screen.
This general latency affects responsiveness in games, such as how long it is from the time a button is pressed until the resulting action is observed on the screen, what we know as input lag.
While there are many variables in this equation, not many are adjustable from the HDMI specification perspective. Quick Frame Transport operates on the transport part of the equation by reducing the time it takes to send only active video over the cable, resulting in reduced screen latency and better response quality. In short, it serves to reduce input lag .
How is the gaming experience improved?
When it comes to improving the gaming experience, you already know that latency is very important. If, for example, half a second passes since we press the button on the controller and we see the action reflected on the screen (input lag), the gaming experience will be anything but satisfactory, especially since we must add the reaction time between seeing something. on the screen and press the corresponding button to react to that.
Reducing input lag with technologies such as Quick Frame Transport reduces this reaction time, and this is especially important for playing competitive games where a few thousandths of a second can be the difference between winning or losing a game.
In addition to this, it is welcome to talk about virtual reality systems, where input lag is even more pronounced because we are seeing the actions in the first person: imagine moving an arm to do an action and not seeing it reflected instantly; that produces even a dizzy feeling, so reducing all these times always results in a better experience.