The new HDMI 2.2 specification promises to fix the standard’s biggest shortcomings by boosting video bandwidth, improving video synchronization, and enabling higher refresh rates. However, you will need new cables.
The HDMI Forum, the organization that develops the HDMI specification, said in a press release published at CES 2025 today that HDMI 2.2 doubles the bandwidth from a maximum of 48Gbps possible with the previous HDMI 2.1 version to 96Gbps. The new specification requires new cables that clearly spell out “Ultra96.” According to the HDMI Forum, new cables enable all the HDMI 2.2 specification features and must have prominent anti-counterfeit labeling on packaging. Among the improvements the HDMI 2.2 specification enables over HDMI 2.1 are higher refresh rates, like 4K resolution at up to 480Hz, 8K at up to 240Hz, and 10K at 120Hz.
Whereas the current specification enables 4K at 120Hz, with 240Hz possible via the Display Stream Compression (DSC) technique, HDMI 2.2’s increased bandwidth makes 4K possible at 120Hz without compression. Similarly, HDMI 2.1 leverages DSC to enable 8K at 60Hz, but HDMI 2.2 can do 8K at four times (240Hz) without DSC. The same goes for 10K: HDMI 2.1 maxes out at 100Hz via DSC, but HDMI 2.2 boosts the 10K frame rate to 120Hz without DSC.
The HDMI 2.2 specification also promises to improve audio and video synchronization via a Latency Indication Protocol (LIP). If your Hi-Fi setup includes an AV receiver or a soundbar, you know about the annoying audio delay that ruins the experience.
HDMI 2.2 should also fix audio syncing issues, especially for people who use older standard versions. However, if you turn on the eARC option on your media player, console, or TV, you can get synced audio even over HDMI 2.1.
Just be sure not to throw your old HDMI cables out the window yet—all companies wishing to adopt HDMI 2.2 will need to wait until the final specification is released sometime in the first half of this year. And even when the first Ultra96-rated HDMI cables start cropping up, you’ll still need to upgrade your TV to enjoy the perks that HDMI 2.2 brings to the table. More pixels and higher refresh rates are undoubtedly welcome, but switching from 4K to 8K is taking much longer than anticipated, and 8K content still isn’t all that common.
Source: HDMI Forum
