HDMI Forum is making a significant innovation in connection technology by announcing the new HDMI 2.2 specification as part of the CES 2025 event. This new standard doubles the current 48 Gbps bandwidth to 96 Gbps. This increase aims to provide a smoother user experience, especially on large-screen televisions and high-end monitors, by enabling higher resolutions and refresh rates. “Ultra96” cables, introduced as part of HDMI 2.2, are specially designed to support these new features.
One of the innovations offered by HDMI 2.2 attracts attention with improvements in image and sound synchronization. This new feature, called “Delay Indication Protocol (LIP)”, minimizes incompatibilities between audio and video, especially in systems with multiple devices. While such issues had previously been greatly reduced with HDMI 2.1 and eARC technologies, they could still occasionally occur in some setups. Thanks to the new protocol, audio and video synchronization will become more stable and the user experience will be significantly improved.
HDMI 2.2 enables higher resolutions and refresh rates
HDMI 2.2 not only improves audio and video synchronization, but also revolutionizes image quality. The new standard supports refresh rates of 480Hz at 4K resolution, 240Hz at 8K and 120Hz at 10K. While existing HDMI cables can support up to 120Hz at 4K, these innovations make Ultra96 cables an inevitable choice for high-resolution enthusiast users. However, since the majority of content currently on the market does not support 8K resolution, it may take time to fully exploit this potential. However, the screen sizes of televisions continue to grow and the demands on refresh rates increase, supporting the efforts of the HDMI Forum in this direction.
For the new standard to be widely adopted, devices must also support this specification. In particular, it may take a while for television manufacturers and other hardware providers to integrate HDMI 2.2 features into their products. However, the opportunities offered by new technologies may make users impatient during this transition period. In addition, the comprehensive certification program launched by the HDMI Forum to prevent counterfeit products aims to increase the reliability of Ultra96 cables. Thanks to the anti-counterfeiting labels to be placed on the packaging, users will be able to easily recognize the original products.
While the innovations brought by HDMI 2.2 are undoubtedly exciting, taking full advantage of the new standard may require a long process. In order for users to switch to this new technology, both televisions and external devices must have HDMI 2.2 compatibility. This situation indicates a waiting period for the widespread use of technology. However, as content producers provide content at higher resolutions and users turn to new devices, the impact of these innovations will be felt more widely.
As a result, HDMI 2.2 is considered an important milestone in image and audio technologies. The new standard aims to move the industry forward with increased bandwidth, high resolution and advanced synchronization features. However, it may take some time for this technology to be fully integrated into daily life. However, HDMI Forum’s efforts in this direction hold promise for a smoother, clearer and smoother media experience in the future.