The next iteration of the standard HDMI had been presented by the HDMI Forum at these 2025. The new version 2.2 now has its complete specifications, which have been published in stride, which means that manufacturers will be able to tackle the design of compatible products.
The main innovation of HDMI 2.2 is the transition to a bandwidth of 96 GB/S.against 48 GB/S currently for HDMI 2.1. This will also allow HDMI to overshadow the DisplayPort, which can climb up to 80 GB/S (AKA UHBR20) in its version 2.1/2.0. And if not, when will the democratization of the GPMI to make everyone agree?
HDMI 2.2 has been designed specifically to manage a 12k @120 Hz and 16K @60 Hz definition with flow compression. Outside DSC, it will be possible to display from 4K @240 Hz to a color depth of 12-bit, and even 8K @60 Hz with a sub-sample 4: 4: 4. To properly illustrate the capacities of its HDMI 2.2, the responsible organization published the following table:
HDMI 2.2 will also take advantage of the LIP functionality (Latency Indication Protocol), whose role will be to improve synchronization between audio and video. This is another of the new features put forward, but which is only really relevant for the most complex installations. Details of HDMI 2.2 not having been put online on the website of HDMI Forumit is not yet clear if other new features have been integrated.
HDMI 2.2 will be well backwards with HDMI 2.1. In other words, it is possible to use the new cable with an old port, or an old cable on a new port. On the other hand, it will be necessary to be careful, because only the cables clearly marked “Ultra96“will allow you to take charge of the bandwidth of 96 GB/S! To see also if all the HDMI 2.2 ports will be very equal because it is already far from being the case with HDMI 2.1, unfortunately. It is therefore allowed to doubt it.
For the anecdote, the adoption of HDMI 2.2 by the Radeon has already been mentioned recently in a rumor. Indeed, the next AMD graphics cards based on UDNA/RDNA 5 could integrate it into version 64 GB/S and 80 GB/s. These speeds also imply that HDMI 2.2 could therefore indeed be at variable speed depending on the equipment …
A single cable to manage HDMI 2.2 in its maximum form: ultra96!
