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Although HDMI 2.1 is still not standard in all TVs on the market, the industry is already preparing for the next big step. The organisation responsible for HDMI development has confirmed that testing and the certification of HDMI 2.2‑compliant devices are underway. The new specification is set to deliver significantly higher bandwidth and open the door to more advanced video formats. The first products could reach retail as early as next year, although broader availability will take a little longer. Naturally, the greatest interest is in televisions and next‑generation consoles.
HDMI 2.2 is set to bring a huge leap in capabilities
The new HDMI 2.2 standard was officially unveiled in 2025 and has attracted strong interest from electronics manufacturers from the start. The biggest change is an increase in maximum bandwidth to as much as 96 Gb/s, which is double the limit of HDMI 2.1. That will make it possible to transmit images at much higher quality without the need for compression. The new technology will, among other things, support uncompressed 4K at 240 Hz. The standard will also allow 8K transmission at 60 Hz with no loss of quality. Where DSC compression is used the possibilities are even greater. There is talk of supporting 8K at 240 Hz and monitors running at refresh rates exceeding 1000 Hz. For the average user such figures may seem abstract, but hardware manufacturers are already preparing for the next years of display technology development. HDMI 2.2 will also introduce new solutions for audio-video synchronisation. This should help reduce latency issues when watching films and gaming. The industry also expects the new standard to be easier to deploy than the move from HDMI 2.0 to HDMI 2.1. This time the underlying technology remains similar, which should simplify implementation. That is good news for TV manufacturers as well as AV receivers and media players. As a result, users can expect new devices to appear on the market more quickly. Everything indicates that HDMI 2.2 will form the foundation for premium equipment in the years to come.
First TVs could appear sooner than expected
Representatives of the HDMI organisation have said that chipmakers will start delivering the first HDMI 2.2‑compliant components later this year. That means finished devices could appear on the market as early as 2027. History shows that TVs are often the first to receive new HDMI standards. The same happened with HDMI 2.1, which debuted first in LG's OLED TVs. It is not yet known which brands will be the first to adopt HDMI 2.2. It is possible, however, that once again it will be high‑end models. It is worth remembering that, as with HDMI 2.1, not every device labelled HDMI 2.2 will offer the full 96 Gb/s bandwidth. The standard defines several capability levels, covering 64, 80 and 96 Gb/s. That means manufacturers will be able to use the HDMI 2.2 name even on devices with limited capability. For customers, this will require checking the technical specifications more closely before buying. In the coming years the new standard should appear not only in TVs but also in consoles, graphics cards and AV receivers. Gamers in particular may benefit from the increased bandwidth and higher refresh rates. The development of 8K also means manufacturers need a new standard capable of handling larger amounts of data. In practice, HDMI 2.2 is intended to prepare the market for equipment that will only arrive in a few years' time. The first products will likely be very expensive, but over time the technology will make its way into more affordable models. For the TV industry this will be another important stage of development.
HDMI 2.2 looks set to be one of the biggest technological leaps in the world of televisions and audio-visual equipment in many years. With bandwidth of up to 96 Gb/s, the new standard will support far more demanding video formats and ready the market for the future. If current plans from manufacturers are realised, the first televisions equipped with HDMI 2.2 could appear as early as 2027.
source: flatpanelshd
