New HDMI 2.2 protocol aims to significantly reduce audio latency.

The HDMI Forum manages the specifications for HDMI connections. On Monday, they announced version 2.2 of the protocol. This version of HDMI 2.2 aims to increase bandwidth and significantly reduce audio latency. I will now provide a detailed explanation of the changes in the new HDMI 2.2 protocol.

New Features of HDMI 2.2

The continuous mission of the HDMI Forum is to develop specifications that respond to the growing demand for high-performance features and characteristics in the HDMI ecosystem. This aligns with the rapid changes in innovative new technologies and products entering the market from now until the future.

HDMI 2.2 was introduced in 2023, almost 8 years after the release of HDMI 2.1, adding support for functions such as 4K120 and 8K60 resolution.

The new protocol version increases bandwidth up to 96Gbps, making it optimal for devices that require large amounts of data, such as AR/VR devices. According to the HDMI Forum, a faster bandwidth also makes it possible for various commercial applications, including "large digital billboards, medical images, machine vision, and more."

However, even without AR/VR devices, another aspect of HDMI 2.2 benefits many users. This is because the new low-latency display protocol (LIP) improves audio-video synchronization, especially when using audio-video recorders or soundbars. HDMI 2.2 also makes it possible to support higher resolutions and refresh rates.

Of course, there will be some time before the first HDMI 2.2 devices hit the market. This is during the period when the new protocol is adopted, which should be around mid-2025. Even so, HDMI 2.1 supports resolutions such as 4K at 120Hz, and most users probably won't need to worry about upgrading.

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