The HDMI Forum consortium presented the HDMI 2.2 standard at CES 2025, promising significant increases in bandwidth and new features to enhance home theaters. The new standard provides a total bandwidth of up to 96 Gbps and includes the use of the Ultra96 HDMI cable, which is necessary to fully unlock its capabilities.
In a press release, the HDMI Forum highlighted HDMI 2.2’s support for higher resolutions and refresh rates, including:
- 4K up to 480Hz
- 8K up to 240Hz
- 10K up to 120Hz
These characteristics significantly outperform the capabilities of HDMI 2.1 cables, which currently support 4K at up to 120Hz. However, the HDMI Forum acknowledges that most users are unlikely to rush to upgrade due to the limited availability of 8K content. Despite this, with the emergence of 4K TVs with refresh rates up to 144Hz and increasing demand for large screens, the consortium believes it is important to continue developing the HDMI standard.
One of the most useful features of HDMI 2.2 is the new Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), designed to improve audio and video synchronization, especially in configurations with multiple devices such as AV receivers or soundbars. Although HDMI 2.1 and eARC have already reduced audio and video delay issues, the HDMI Forum claims that HDMI 2.2 will make another step forward in ensuring seamless playback across all connected devices.
This update could minimize delay issues that often arise for users with complex home theater systems.
Additionally, to support the new bandwidth requirements, the HDMI Forum introduced the Ultra96 HDMI cable, which will be supplied with anti-counterfeiting labels to ensure buyers receive certified products. The Ultra96 logo will appear on the packaging to help consumers identify genuine cables.
According to HDMI Forum, the HDMI 2.2 standard will be available to all HDMI 2.x participants in the first half of 2025. However, to fully unlock its potential, both televisions and external devices will need to support the new specification. For now, the new standard is considered a long-term investment in the future of home entertainment systems, especially considering the demand for higher resolutions and refresh rates.