- A new HDMI standard will arrive at CES 2025
- More bandwidth and faster refresh rates promised
- Backward compatible with your existing hardware
With just a few weeks until CES 2025, the rumors are becoming more and more numerous. And the thickest and fastest rumor this week is that we'll be treated to new TV technology in the form of HDMI 2.2, the latest version of the trusty AV standard.
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is one of the key connectivity standards for audiovisual devices. Chances are, it's what you use to connect your sound bar or AV receiver to your TV, and it's also in your game consoles and other AV kits.
As always, new versions promise improved features. So what can we expect this time?
What HDMI 2.2 means to you
The current version of HDMI, HDMI 2.1b, was released in 2023. It was a big upgrade, with support for higher video resolutions up to 10K, faster 120Hz refresh rates, dynamic HDR, and up to 48Gbps of bandwidth. data transfer on the appropriate. cabling.
HDMI 2.2 is expected to improve this in several key areas. According to an email from the HDMI licensing manager as reported by German publication ComputerBase, “The new specification, which features next-generation HDMI technology and higher bandwidth, will enable a variety of higher resolutions and refresh rates and will be compatible with a new HDMI cable.
There are no details yet on what that increased bandwidth will be or what the improved resolutions and refresh rates will be. And it's worth noting that the statement doesn't specifically say HDMI 2.2, so name-wise it could turn out to be HDMI 2.1c. But HDMI 2.2 sounds more exciting and will sell more things, including an expensive new type of cable, so it's smart to go for it.
What does it mean to you? In the short term, nothing: HDMI 2.1 was launched in 2017 but took several years to become mainstream; The same is likely to happen with HDMI 2.2. And the arrival of a newer version won't change your current home entertainment equipment or make it obsolete, since the standard is backwards compatible. But over time we will see the new standard reach graphics cards and high-end televisions, before filtering down to more affordable devices.
