HDMI 2.2 Spec Finalized With A Big Bandwidth Lift For Up To 16K At 60 FPS
We're still waiting for monitor makers to fully embrace the HDMI 2.1 (including 2.1a and 2.1b) standard, but in the meantime, HDMI Forum is not showing any signs of slowing down its specifications process (even if we didn't get a big reveal at CES as some were expecting). Just the opposite, the standards body announced it has finalized version 2.2 of the HDMI specification, which serves up a whopping 96Gbps of bandwidth. It also paves the way for a new class of certified HDMI cables branded as Ultra96.
The latest specification doubles the bandwidth compared to all variants of HDMI 2.1, which top out at 48Gbps. Part of what that means for end users is a higher maximum resolution—HDMI 2.2 supports up to a 16K resolution (15360x8640) at 60Hz, up significantly from 10K for HDMI 2.1/2.1a/2.1b. In case you're wondering, both HDMI 2.0 and 1.4 tops out at 4K.
HDMI 2.2 also supports 12K at 120Hz, so there is a fair bit of future-proofing involved with the latest specification. The vast majority of consumer TV displays sold today are 4K resolution models, with fewer (and comparatively expensive) options available in the 8K arena.
On the content side of the equation, even 4K has yet to really stretch its legs, let alone 8K. This is especially true with sports—as an avid basketball fan, this author gets giddy on the rate times that a 4K broadcast is available. The situation is improving overall, though, especially in the streaming space.
In addition to supporting refresh rates of up to 60Hz at 16K and 120Hz at 12K and 10K, the HDMI 2.2 standard supports up to 240Hz at 8K and 5K, and up to 480Hz at 4K. The caveat is that you're looking at compression and chroma subsampling to hit those metrics. Here's how it shakes out...
You can click/tap the image for a bigger, more detail view of the table. If you'd rather not, here is the legend to decode the colored labels...
- Black: Support with UHS HDMI Cables or Ultra96 HDMI Cables
- Red: Support with UHS HDMI Cables+DSC or with Ultra96 HDMI Cables
- Green: Support with UHS HDMI Cables+DSC or Ultra69 HDMI Cables+DSC
- Blue: Support with Ultra96HDMI Cables+DSC
In theory, HDMI also paves the way for gaming at up to 16K and 60 frames per second, and 12K at up to 120 FPS (just swap the Hz label for FPS on any of the entries). Realistically, we're a long way from having the necessary GPU hardware to support those levels of gameplay (though its rumored AMD's next-gen Radeon cards will support HDMI 2.2, albeit at up to 80Gbps), especially for anything outside of less demanding esports. Still, it's important to have standards like this in place, to give gaming (and other sectors) room to grow.
Also noteworthy is that the Ultra96 branding is part of the HDMI Cable Certification Program. If a cable is certified as Ultra96, then it supports up to 96Gbps and all HDMI 2.2 applications.
"'Ultra96' is a feature name that manufacturers are encouraged to use to indicate a
product supports a maximum of 64Gbps, 80Gbps or 96Gbps bandwidth in compliance
with the HDMI 2.2 Specification. Products that market or display the Ultra96 feature
name require the Ultra96 HDMI Cable to ensure a product’s maximum bandwidth is
properly supported," HDMI Forum states in its announcement (PDF).
Lastly, HDMI Forum points out that a new Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) is included in the new specification. This is intended to improve audio and video synchronization, particularly in multi-hop setups where a soundbar or video receiver is involved.
