After first asserting it at CES 2025, the HDMI Discussion board is lastly releasing the brand new HDMI 2.2 specification to producers in the present day. Though there isn’t any definitive timeline for a way lengthy it should take {hardware} makers to undertake the brand new specification, the primary Ultra96 HDMI Cables, with bandwidth capabilities boosted to as much as 96Gbps, may very well be out there later this 12 months.
HDMI 2.1 and the present Extremely Excessive Velocity 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 can additionally deal with uncompressed video codecs with 10-bit and 12-bit shade 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 also be hoping that the brand new specification will make it simpler for shoppers to know what cable they must be utilizing. HDMI cables are presently differentiated with names together with Commonplace, Excessive Velocity, Premium Excessive Velocity, and Extremely Excessive Velocity, 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 even 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, significantly for setups the place alerts are bouncing by way of a soundbar or an AV receiver earlier than reaching a TV or projector.
All cables supporting the HDMI 2.2 specification and that includes the Ultra96 label can be licensed by the HDMI Discussion board’s approved take a look at facilities to make sure they will deal with the elevated bandwidth. Nevertheless, a tool that’s Ultra96 licensed gained’t essentially require a brand new HDMI cable should you don’t want the most recent options. You may proceed to make use of your current older HDMI cables and even nonetheless make the most of some HDMI 2.2 options that don’t require greater bandwidths. However if you wish to improve your property theater to 16K, you will have to improve to Ultra96 cables.
Replace, June twenty sixth: Added particulars about Ultra96 certification and backwards compatibility with older HDMI cables.
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