TECH

HDMI 2.2 redefines the audiovisual experience and paves the way for 10K with 96Gbps

During CES 2025, the world's largest technology fair, the HDMI Forum announced the arrival of the new HDMI 2.2 standard. Promising to transform the audiovisual landscape, HDMI 2.2 arrives with significant improvements, such as increased bandwidth to 96Gbps, double the capacity of HDMI 2.1. This advancement will support higher resolutions and refresh rates, paving the way for the future of displays and media technology. The new Ultra96 cable was specially developed to support all the features of HDMI 2.2 and ensure that users can enjoy its features efficiently. 4K at 480Hz, 8K at 240Hz and 10K at 120Hz: The Resolution of the Future... With the arrival of 4K at 144Hz televisions, consumers are beginning to seek higher-quality immersive experiences, and HDMI 2.2 is here to meet this demand. The new standard expands support to 4K at 480Hz, a refresh rate that can provide impressive fluidity for games and videos with high graphic intensity. In addition, it also supports 8K at 240Hz and up to 10K at 120Hz, opening the door to a future where image quality will be much more detailed and fluid than ever before.

Although native 8K content is currently scarce, the industry is constantly evolving, and the introduction of HDMI 2.2 indicates preparation for the coming years, when consumers will have access to a vast portfolio of content in extremely high resolution. HDMI 2.2 is a bet on the future, since, as larger displays become more affordable, the demand for technologies that meet this need also grows.

Audio and Video Synchronization: The Solution to the Challenges of Complex Configurations...Another important point of HDMI 2.2 is the implementation of the Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), a feature designed to solve the audio and video synchronization problems that still affect many users, especially those with more complex systems. Although HDMI 2.1 and eARC had already made significant progress in solving these problems, the new HDMI 2.2 protocol promises to eradicate once and for all the frustrations with synchronization, especially in configurations involving AV receivers, soundbars or multiple connected devices.

In more advanced scenarios, such as setups with multiple audio and video devices, synchronization failures are still a concern for consumers. With HDMI 2.2 and LIP, these problems should be minimized, providing a smoother and more interruption-free experience. This improvement will be welcome for users who have been experiencing constant issues with misaligned audio and video, a recurring problem in discussions about HDMI cable brands and models.

Certification and Counterfeit Prevention: Ensuring Authenticity...The quality of HDMI 2.2 is not limited to its technical capabilities alone, but also to the implementation of a rigorous certification program to ensure the authenticity of the products. The HDMI Forum has announced that Ultra96 cables will come with certification labels, with the aim of combating counterfeits and ensuring that consumers are purchasing genuine products. This move is important, as the HDMI cable market, in particular, has been the target of copies and imitations that can affect the quality of the audiovisual experience.

The presence of the Ultra96 brand on the packaging and cables will be a way to ensure that the user is purchasing a product capable of supporting all the advanced features of HDMI 2.2.

The Future of HDMI: Preparing for the Next Technological Advancements...The launch of HDMI 2.2 not only marks a major update to the HDMI standard, but also sets the stage for technological advancements in the years to come. The introduction of support for higher resolutions and faster refresh rates is directly linked to the evolution of the display, gaming and digital content creation markets, especially in the areas of AR/VR, next-generation gaming and major film productions.

HDMI 2.2 will be available to partners in the first half of 2025, and is expected to be widely available by the end of the year. However, for consumers to take advantage of this new specification, both the TV and external devices will need to be HDMI 2.2-compatible.

While HDMI 2.2 brings impressive advancements, the TV and external device market will need to adapt to support the new specification. For now, many consumers will be able to continue using HDMI 2.1 without feeling the urgent need to upgrade, especially given the scarcity of content that utilizes the full potential of HDMI 2.2.

mundophone