After first asserting it at CES 2025, the HDMI Discussion board is lastly releasing the new HDMI 2.2 specification to producers right now. Though there isn’t any definitive timeline for a way lengthy it is going to take {hardware} makers to undertake the brand new specification, the primary Ultra96 HDMI Cables, with bandwidth capabilities boosted to as much as 96Gbps, could possibly be out there later this yr.
HDMI 2.1 and the present Extremely Excessive Pace HDMI cables have a most bandwidth of 48Gbps which helps resolutions as much as 10K and refresh charges as much as 120Hz with 4K content material. HDMI 2.2 and the brand new Ultra96 cables will allow even greater resolutions and refresh charges together with 4K at 480Hz, 8K at 240Hz, 10K at 120Hz, and even 16K at 60Hz. It’ll additionally deal with uncompressed video codecs with 10-bit and 12-bit coloration at 8K at 60Hz and 4K at 240Hz.
Given how troublesome it nonetheless is to search out native 8K content material, don’t count on cable suppliers or console makers to supply 16K anytime quickly. HDMI 2.1 has been round since 2017 and {hardware} makers nonetheless don’t take full benefit of the spec, so the elevated bandwidth and resolutions of two.2 ought to assist future-proof the HDMI specification for years to come back.
The HDMI Discussion board can be hoping that the brand new specification will make it simpler for shoppers to know what cable they have to be utilizing. HDMI cables are at the moment differentiated with names together with Customary, Excessive Pace, Premium Excessive Pace, and Extremely Excessive Pace, which doesn’t present any specifics on their capabilities. With HDMI 2.2, the Ultra96 title will make it clear {that a} cable helps the brand new specification and bandwidths as much as 96Gbps.
HDMI 2.2 may also embody the brand new Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), which was additionally introduced final January. The characteristic is designed to construct on audio and video synchronization enhancements launched with HDMI 2.1, notably for setups the place indicators are bouncing by a soundbar or an AV receiver earlier than reaching a TV or projector.