After announcing it at CES earlier this year, HDMI Forum has finally released the latest HDMI 2.2 spec for device and accessory manufacturers.
As with previous major HDMI revisions, the major update with version 2.2 is the increase in bandwidth. HDMI 2.2 supports up to 96Gbps bandwidth, twice that of HDMI 2.1 that came before it. However, since this is HDMI Forum we are talking about, and some amount of muddying of water is expected, HDMI 2.2 will also apply to devices supporting 64Gbps, 80Gbps, and the full 96Gbps bandwidth.
As usual, there is a big attention-grabbing resolution number to go with this new spec. This time, we are getting support for up to 16K resolution at 60Hz or 12K resolution at 120Hz using display stream compression or chroma subsampling.
But while it’s easy to roll your eyes at these figures, a big bandwidth increase like this also brings with it improvements at more practical resolutions. For example, with the recent launch of 4K 240Hz monitors, you can achieve this resolution and refresh rate combination at 10-bit or 12-bit color without having to use display stream compression or chroma subsampling, something that wasn’t possible before. Similarly, you can achieve true 8K 60Hz 4:4:4 at 10-bit or 12-bit without compression.
Other features in the new spec include Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), dynamic HDR support, source-based tone mapping (SBTM), enhanced eARC, enhanced gaming features, including VRR, ALLM, and QFT, Quick Media Switching (QMS), and HDMI cable power.
To go along with the new spec, HDMI Forum has also announced a new standard for the cables that will be required to achieve this bandwidth. The previous Ultra High Speed HDMI standard used for HDMI 2.1 transmission will no longer be adequate, and you will have to look for the new Ultra96 HDMI branding on cables to ensure compatibility. As with Ultra High Speed HDMI, HDMI Forum will be testing and certifying cables that meet the Ultra96 HDMI spec and such cables will have the Ultra96 Certified Cable label with hologram and QR code that customers can scan to verify.
