Cosemi Announces 328-Feet ‘8K-Ready’ OptoDP Active DisplayPort 1.4 Optical Cable

Cosemi has announced its first OptoDP active optical cable that supports a DisplayPort 1.4 connection. That in itself isn’t newsworthy, but up to 328 feet, or 100 meters, it seems rather interesting. The cable supports resolutions up to 8K60 4:4:4 at 60 Hz and is designed for users who need to connect ultra-high-definition displays/TVs or projectors to sources located far away.

Compared to DP 1.3, which supports up to 4Kp120 and 8Kp30, DP 1.4 can enable Display Stream Compression 1.2 and Forward Error Correction, despite no difference in bandwidth between the two standards. This allows DP 1.4 hardware to support 7680×4320 resolution with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling at 60 Hz with 10-bit color and HDR (as well as 4Kp240) over a ~25.92 Gbps interconnection. Cosemi’s OptoDP active optical cable guarantees DP 1.4 signal integrity at the length of up to 100 meters without any additional external power. 

Cosemi demonstrated the work of its cable with 8Kp60 resolution at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and TechnoAP. Keep in mind that the showcase was focused on demonstration of signal integrity and not on an actual 8Kp60 display with appropriate content.

Technically speaking, there are DisplayPort 1.3-compliant active optical cables supporting up to a ~26 Gbps bandwidth. However, Cosemi’s cable is extremely long and the company has demonstrated that it works. Before coming to a commercial product, the cable will actually get an official DP 1.4 certification.

Cosemi said that it would start production of OptoDP active optical cables shortly. In addition, the company is prepping an active optical USB Type-C cable that would enable DisplayPort 1.4 over USB-C interconnections at long distances. The manufacturer said nothing about pricing of its cables, but given that we are talking about a 100-meter active optical solution for prosumers as well as cinemas, they will everything but cheap. For example, a 30-meter active optical DP 1.3-compliant cable retails for $799.99.

Related Reading:

• VESA Releases DisplayPort 1.4 Standard: DisplayPort Adds Compression & HDR
• Club3D Releases Their DisplayPort 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 Adapter: The Real McCoy
• CEATEC 2016: Sharp Showcases 27-inch 8K 120Hz IGZO Monitor with HDR, also 1000 PPI for VR

NVIDIA Adds GeForce GTX 1060 To “Prepare for Battle” Bundle

In a brief announcement this morning, NVIDIA is expanding their “Prepare for Battle” bundle to include the GeForce GTX 1060.

NVIDIA’s latest bundle launched nearly two months ago, at the end of January. At the time it launched, the bundle offered anyone who purchased a GeForce GTX 1080, GTX 1070, or a PC or laptop equipped with these cards the option to download either Ubisoft’s For Honor or Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands for free. NVIDIA then expanded the bundle to cover the GTX 1080 Ti upon its launch earlier this month.

Now that a good number of miles have been run on this offer, NVIDIA has included the GeForce GTX 1060 in on the action as well. This means that short of the entry-level GTX 1050 series, everything above in NVIDIA’s GeForce lineup includes a game bundle. It’s a notable distinction, in part because the GTX 1060 is the fastest card in a competitive market for NVIDIA – that is, where AMD offers a card with comparable performance. Consequently, NVIDIA’s bundle has taken on something of a new meaning, as it’s no longer about just throwing in a value add item to higher margin cards, but now about influencing mainstream video card buyers.

Looking at the updated lineup, one thing worth noting here is that while GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 systems were included in the bundle, there is no word on if GTX 1060-equipped desktops or laptops are part of this offer as well.

We haven’t yet received news to how long this offer will run, though we will update here when we catch news of the end date. Meanwhile it is worth remembering to verify the participation of any vendors purchased from as NVIDIA likely will not give codes for purchases made from sellers that are not participating. NVIDIA also makes clear that it is up to the buyer to confirm their vendor of choice is participating in this bundle as NVIDIA cannot provide download codes and coupons for purchases made at non-participating retailers and e-tailers.

NVIDIA Adds GeForce GTX 1060 To “Prepare for Battle” Bundle

In a brief announcement this morning, NVIDIA is expanding their “Prepare for Battle” bundle to include the GeForce GTX 1060.

NVIDIA’s latest bundle launched nearly two months ago, at the end of January. At the time it launched, the bundle offered anyone who purchased a GeForce GTX 1080, GTX 1070, or a PC or laptop equipped with these cards the option to download either Ubisoft’s For Honor or Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands for free. NVIDIA then expanded the bundle to cover the GTX 1080 Ti upon its launch earlier this month.

Now that a good number of miles have been run on this offer, NVIDIA has included the GeForce GTX 1060 in on the action as well. This means that short of the entry-level GTX 1050 series, everything above in NVIDIA’s GeForce lineup includes a game bundle. It’s a notable distinction, in part because the GTX 1060 is the fastest card in a competitive market for NVIDIA – that is, where AMD offers a card with comparable performance. Consequently, NVIDIA’s bundle has taken on something of a new meaning, as it’s no longer about just throwing in a value add item to higher margin cards, but now about influencing mainstream video card buyers.

Looking at the updated lineup, one thing worth noting here is that while GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 systems were included in the bundle, there is no word on if GTX 1060-equipped desktops or laptops are part of this offer as well.

We haven’t yet received news to how long this offer will run, though we will update here when we catch news of the end date. Meanwhile it is worth remembering to verify the participation of any vendors purchased from as NVIDIA likely will not give codes for purchases made from sellers that are not participating. NVIDIA also makes clear that it is up to the buyer to confirm their vendor of choice is participating in this bundle as NVIDIA cannot provide download codes and coupons for purchases made at non-participating retailers and e-tailers.