here's what 96 Gbps of bandwidth can do

It was expected, the HDMI Forum announced an evolution of its connection technology with version 2.2.

First new feature: the bandwidth is doubled. With 96 Gbps (gigabits per second)it doubles the capacities of version 2.1 which capped at 48 Gbps.

For the uninitiated, imagine a pipe twice as wide allowing twice as much information to pass at the same time. This improvement is not just a simple figure on paper: it opens the way to uses that have until now been limited by technology. HDR, definition, refresh rate, compression… bandwidth is essential to all that.

The arrival of the new Ultra96 cable accompanies this development. It's not just a name change: each cable will have to go through a rigorous certification program to guarantee its performance. Good news for consumers who should no longer get lost in the maze of “compatible” but not really optimized cables.

An example of an HDMI 2.2 cable (above) shows possible configurations, including 4K up to 480 Hz, 8K up to 240 Hz, and 10K at 120 Hz.

First application, VR

Virtual and augmented reality will be the first to benefit from this development. With doubled bandwidth, VR headsets will be able to display more detailed images with reduced latency. This is also excellent news for fans of 8K or very high refresh rate video games.

The introduction of the Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) represents another step forward. It will allow better synchronization between audio and video, particularly in complex installations with multiple devices such as home theaters with sound bars.

The professional sector is not left out: medical imaging, large format digital signage and artificial vision will be able to exploit this boosted bandwidth for ever more demanding applications.

However, we will probably have to wait for graphics card and screen manufacturers to integrate this new standard to take full advantage of it.

The HDMI Forum announced that the specification will be available to all HDMI 2.x adopters in the first half of 2025, but the question of backwards compatibility remains. We will probably have to wait until 2026.