In January, at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, HDMI Forum—a nonprofit run by manufacturers of consumer electronics, PCs, mobile devices, cables, and components—unveiled the new HDMI 2.2 standard. It's the first new HDMI specification since Version 2.1 was announced in 2017.
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In a press release, the organization declared the specification delivers "enhanced options" for the HDMI ecosystem. “New technology enables higher quality options now and in the future for content producers such as TV, movie, and game studios, while enabling multiple distribution platforms,” it continued.
Unlike so many other products released to the marketplace, HDMI 2.2 truly is "new and improved." But what does that mean to the Pro AV industry? What are the top features and how will the new standard deliver better performance for end users? SCN spoke with some industry experts to learn what you can expect from HDMI 2.2, as well as when you can expect it to dominate the market.
Multiple Improvements
“The new HDMI 2.2 specification includes multiple enhancements over previous releases,” said Joe da Silva, Extron’s VP of marketing. “One is that it doubles the maximum data rate to 96 Gbps. This increase facilitates greater color bit depth at higher resolutions, resulting in richer colors and pristine images. Two is that HDMI 2.2 enables support for uncompressed 8K at 60 Hz with 4:4:4 color sampling at 8-bit color depth. This capability requires 64.15 Gbps, which is more than HDMI 2.1 can manage."
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How important is that data rate, which was 48 Gbps in HDMI 2.1? Well, bumping 8K60 4:4:4 up to 10-bit HDR raises the data rate to 80.19 Gbps, da Silva said, which means HDMI 2.2 can still support it. Plus, it can support an environment that requires 10K60 4:4:4 at 8-bit color depth.
But HDMI 2.2's 96 Gbps data rate isn't just about 8K or 10K support. “It also enables higher frame rates for 1080p and 4K signals, improving visual quality and providing a better experience,” da Silva added. “This is ideal for esports and its fast-action gaming sequences. HDMI 2.2 also enhances the audio experienced by delivering improved synchronization between audio and video source signals.”
Bryan Phann, ViewSonic’s senior business line manager for LFD–Commercial Digital Displays, agreed that HDMI 2.2 delivers a massive leap forward with increased bandwidth, support for up to 8K at 240Hz and 10K at 120Hz, and the Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), which improves audio and video sync. “These innovations align seamlessly with ViewSonic’s dedication to pushing technological boundaries," he said. "As part of our forward-looking strategy, upcoming ViewSonic products will adopt HDMI 2.2, empowering users to experience superior visual clarity, smoother refresh rates, and synchronized audio-visual output. The new Certified Ultra96 cable support will further maximize these gains, ensuring you can unleash the full power of next-generation connectivity.”
Brad Bramy is VP of marketing and operations of HDMI Licensing Administrator, which licenses HDMI technology on behalf of HDMI Forum. He said the new HDMI specification delivers enhanced options for the vast HDMI ecosystem, allowing more advanced solutions to create, distribute, and experience the best end user outcome.
“The new technology enables higher quality options now and in the future for content producers such as TV, movie, and game studios, while enabling multiple distribution platforms," Bramy told SCN. "Higher 96Gbps bandwidth and next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology provide optimal audio and video for a wide range of device applications. An end user can be assured that their displays support a native video format in the best way possible and can deliver a seamless and reliable experience.”
Positive Impact
The experts agree that HDMI 2.2 is good news for Pro AV. According to da Silva, standards like HDMI benefit the industry because they create a roadmap for implementing new features and innovations.
“Developing the next evolution of product designs to an agreed upon specification brings compatible advancements to the market, including higher resolutions, refresh rates for brighter and more vivid images, and new technology," he explained. "Users benefit from these enhancements and further interoperability among the widening array of computer, media player, switcher, and display device brands and models, enjoying an ever more enriched visual experience. Backward compatibility is also beneficial to the user by allowing older equipment to continue to function in new and upgraded installations.”
Incorporating HDMI 2.2 into digital displays brings tangible advantages for various Pro AV applications such as digital signage (sharper visuals in retail and corporate spaces), esports (reduced latency and ultra-smooth refresh rates), and professional displays. “These features underscore why ViewSonic is dedicated to leading with HDMI 2.2 in upcoming product lines,” Phann said.
The HDMI 2.2 advancements also "enhance the visual experience, allowing higher refresh rates such as 4K at up to 480Hz, 8K at up to 240Hz, and 10K at 120Hz for signals with 4:2:0 color space,” said da Silva. “This can play a significant role in esports arenas and labs, providing smoother gameplay in a more immersive experience for the gamer and audience alike. The higher resolution and color bit depth ensure even greater details for large digital signage and displays, as well as massive video walls and displays for stadiums, shopping complexes, and similar venues. In the education market, the higher data rates, resolutions, and refresh rates of HDMI 2.2 enhances the depth and details, allowing more to be seen and enjoyed in the widest array of environments."
And that faster 96Gbps bandwidth improves demanding data-intensive, immersive, and virtual applications such as virtual reality, spatial reality, and light field displays as well as various commercial applications such as large-scale digital signage, medical imaging, and machine vision. “HDMI 2.2 also includes Latency Indication Protocol for improving audio and video synchronization, which is especially beneficial for multiple-hop system configurations such as those with an audio video receiver or soundbar,” Bramy added.
Applies to Everything
The advent of HDMI 2.2 will touch every aspect of the Pro AV (and consumer AV) market. And the new specification applies to “all [new] HDMI devices, including cable, source, sink, and repeater,” Bramy said. “It is part of the HDMI Cable Certification Program, requiring each model length to be tested and certified and display a Certification Label. All cables claiming compliance to the HDMI 2.2 specification are required to print the Ultra96 HDMI Cable name on the cable jacket and display the official Ultra96 HDMI Cable label on the packages.”
“While using Certified Ultra96 cables is crucial, achieving the fullest potential of HDMI 2.2 also requires compatible hardware,” noted Phann. “This is why ViewSonic’s next-generation displays and digital signage solutions will incorporate HDMI 2.2 technology to enable higher resolutions and optimized latency. Future ViewSonic releases, such as the CDE Ultra-Wide Series and advanced interactive flat panels, will explicitly highlight HDMI 2.2 compatibility to streamline purchasing decisions and usage.”
How long will it take HDMI 2.2 to become the dominant Pro AV/consumer AV standard? Bramy expects it will take two years, but Phann is a bit more conservative in his estimate: “Market-wide adoption is expected to grow steadily over the next three to five years,” he said. One thing is certain: HDMI 2.2 is the new gold standard for this technology, so Pro AV integrators and installers should prepare for this new reality accordingly.
