HDMI Forum Releases HDMI Version 2.2 Specification Update

The HDMI Forum announced the release of Version 2.2 of the HDMI Specification. The update introduces higher bandwidth up to 96Gbps, higher resolutions and refresh rates up to 12K@120 and 16K@60, and fixes critical latency issues with next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology. And end-users can be assured that their displays support a native video format in the best way possible and deliver a seamless and reliable experience, with the optimal audio and video for a wide range of applications. The HDMI Version 2.2 release of the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Specification was anticipated in January 2025, at CES, and is now officially the current adopted version of the technology. Since the introduction of HDMI version 2, the HDMI Forum moved away from the previous focus on the connectivity of equipment according to existing audio and video standards, to ensure the interface supports the highest level of quality signals, independently of the applications. 

Originally created as a digital replacement for analog video standards, HDMI has evolved significantly since the first version in 2002, and HDMI 2.2 is now intended to deliver enhanced options for a vast ecosystem long detached from video standards. The new generation HDMI technology delivers higher bandwidth up to 96Gbps, enables a wide range of higher resolutions and refresh rates, and fixes critical latency issues. And higher resolutions and refresh rates are also supported, including up to 12K@120 and 16K@60.
 
The introduction of the new HDMI Ultra96 name helps consumers select the correct Ultra HDMI Cable that supports a product’s maximum bandwidth. Additionally, more high-quality options are now supported, including uncompressed full chroma formats such as 8K@60/4:4:4 and 4K@240/4:4:4 at 10-bit and 12-bit color.

“The HDMI Forum is proud to release the new HDMI 2.2 Specification to enable higher performance capabilities and features for exciting and immersive new solutions and products,” explains Chandlee Harrell, president of the HDMI Forum. “And the introduction of the new Ultra96 feature name will help consumers and end-users ensure their product’s maximum bandwidth is supported.”
 
“Ultra96 is a feature name that manufacturers are encouraged to use to indicate a product supports a maximum of 64Gbps, 80Gbps, or 96Gbps bandwidth in compliance with the HDMI 2.2 Specification. Products that market or display the Ultra96 feature name require the Ultra96 HDMI Cable to ensure a product’s maximum bandwidth is properly supported. The new Ultra96 HDMI Cable supports up to 96Gbps and all HDMI 2.2 applications. The current Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable is applicable for system configurations supporting up to 48Gbps maximum bandwidth,” the organization explains. The Ultra96 HDMI Cable, just like the Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable, is part of the HDMI Cable Certification Program, requiring each model length to be tested and certified and display a Certification Label. Also included in the new specification is Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) for improving audio and video synchronization, especially for multiple-hop system configurations such as those with an audio-video receiver or soundbar.

The HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA) is the entity appointed by the HDMI Forum to license Version 2.2 of the HDMI Specification and is the agent appointed by the HDMI Founders to license earlier HDMI Specifications. HDMI LA provides marketing, promotional, licensing, and administrative services.
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