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Comment by dharmab | Hacker News Reader

> From my understanding I think that is not technically possible because to pass video they need the data lines but maybe I'm mistaken?

Counterexample: The Meta Quest link cables use a USB-C style connector but internally are very different from a regular cable.

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So, not actually USB compliant? (save for the connector)

One can't blame non-compliant cables on USB-C as it could happen with any other connector.

and that can happen with literally every cable, people have abused USB-A and RJ45 for many decades...

Not every cable. Not if you make the connector a closed standard that can't be used without ruinous licencing fees and keep a squad of patent attorneys on retainer. Thankfully USB is not one of those.

> make the connector a closed standard that can't be used without ruinous licencing fees and keep a squad of patent attorneys on retainer

Time has shown that doesn't seem to prevent cheap - and potentially dangerous - knockoffs from areas outside possible litigation.

My APC UPS is connected to my computer with a USB-A to rj45 cable. It is the most cursed cable I own, narrowly beating out the type-A to type-A usb2 cable I needed to buy to get a HTC vive to work. (I later "upgraded" to a type-c cable with A-to-C adapters on either end.)

IIRC, the Ethernet standard means ports should tolerate 5V, but I'm still spooked someone's going to use the cable thinking it's something else.

They are regular (fiber optic) USB-C cables.

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