In addition to the latest in computers and electronics, CES 2025 has also been the framework in which the future new version of the HDMI protocol. Nearly seven years after 2.1 was released, the HDMI Forum has finally revealed what its successor will be, as well as the features it will have. For a start, HDMI 2.2as it is called, will require new cables if users want to get the most out of it, although the same connector will do.
This new cable, which will be available for use with HDMI 2.2 compatible devices, will have its own name: Ultra96. With it you can achieve the transmission speeds promised by the new version of the HDMI standard: up to 96 Gbps. Double what can be achieved with devices and cables used with the HDMI 2.1 protocol, which reaches a maximum speed of 47 Gbps.
Of course, what those responsible for the HDMI Forum have presented for now are only the basic concepts and characteristics of the standard. They will be known in full when companies and organizations that are part of the new HDMI adoption program receive the complete specifications of its version 2.2. They will have them in their possession, if everything goes as planned, before the end of the first half of 2025.
Main features of HDMI 2.2
However, the members of the forum have assured that it will offer, among other things, higher refresh ratesin addition to allowing higher resolutionsalthough it is not yet known to what extent. It will also feature a new Latency Indication Protocol, designed to improve synchronization between audio and videoand avoid sound delays. Especially in television applications, where the sound has to go from the television to the sound bar or external speakers.
With HDMI 2.1 and eARC many of the synchronization problems between audio and video have already been solved, but they can still appear depending on the equipment and components the user has. Everything indicates that HDMI 2.2 will go further to ensure that sound and video are aligned at all times, and audio latency problems are left behind.
In addition, having a bandwidth of up to 96 Gbps for transfers will improve the operation of applications that work with virtual and immersive worlds, as well as those that require intense work with data. Among them are augmented, spatial, virtual and mixed reality. It also improves work with medical imaging enlargements, computer vision or large-scale digital signatures.
Of course, although there is not much time left until the official launch of the complete HDMI 2.2 specifications, there is still a long time until the cables compatible with the new standard arrive, as well as the devices that support it. So far there are no cable or device manufacturers that have publicly announced their compatibility with the new standard, something they will probably do in the not too distant future.
It will take a few years to reach users
With an HDMI cable, for example, you can offer 4K content up to 480 Hz, 8K at 240 Hz and 10K at 120 Hz. The most advanced current HDMI cables can already offer 4K content up to 120 Hz. For many this is already more That’s enough, so users are unlikely to be inclined to upgrade to HDMI 2.2 anytime soon.
It is likely that they will not do so for a few years, when they start using larger screens than the current ones, and when there is also content that makes having higher resolutions worthwhile. In any case, apart from needing new cables to be able to take advantage of the new version of HDMI, it will also be necessary to have televisions, computers and other external devices that are compatible with HDMI 2.2.
According to Chandlee Harrell, President of the HDMI Forumthe mission of the entity is «develop specifications that meet the HDMI ecosystem’s growing demand for high-performance features and capabilities. This new specification supports a rapidly evolving landscape of exciting new technologies and products coming to market, both today and in the future.«.
He Foro HDMIthe entity in charge of the development and evolution of the HDMI protocol, is a non-profit organization, composed of leading consumer electronics manufacturerspersonal computers, mobile devices, cables and components. In addition to ensuring the advancement of HDMI, its mission is also to promote greater industry participation in the development of future versions of the protocol, as well as Expand the ecosystem of interoperable and HDMI-compatible products.
