A new standard of HDMI connection has been unveiled – and it will mean better picture and video quality for us viewers at home.
HDMI 2.2 has a faster 96Gbps bandwidth and next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology. Using a device that is HDMI 2.2 certified (with a compatible HDMI cable, of course) will guarantee that your screen supports a native video format in the best way possible.
We are promised higher resolutions and refresh rates (though there's no specific mention of what these will be), alongside more immersive applications such as augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality (what Apple calls 'spatial computing'). It will also enable more features for commercial applications, such as digital signage, medical imaging and machine vision.
Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) promises to improve audio and video synchronisation, especially when using an AVR or soundbar. So hopefully lip-sync issues should be a thing of the past.
The new Ultra96 HDMI Cable (pictured) supports the 96Gbps bandwidth and will enable all the HDMI 2.2 features.
The new specification will be made available to manufacturers in the first half of this year. So hopefully we will see devices using it before too long.
But don't expect a rapid uptake; HDMI 2.1 was announced all the way back in 2017, but is still far from ubiquitous. Its 48Gbps enabled new features such as 4K/120Hz gaming with VRR and ALLM. It has since allowed refresh rates up to 144Hz, though only for PCs (consoles are limited to 120Hz).
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