HDMI 2.2: Do You Need a New Cable?

HDMI Simultaneously Transmits Picture and Sound

HDMI transmits both picture and sound in all required formats and resolutions for use with televisions, projectors, and audio devices. For most TV and video applications, UHD resolution at a maximum of 60 hertz is sufficient. The current version even goes beyond that in many areas, allowing gamers to transmit 120 or even 144 hertz—depending on the monitor and graphics card, up to 240 hertz is possible. HDMI 2.1 is also adequate for the few 8K televisions and the new PlayStation 5 Pro with 8K output.

The Key Facts about HDMI 2.2

In early January 2025, the HDMI consortium presented the latest version, HDMI 2.2, at the CES 2025 technology fair. This version is more powerful and is designed to future-proof the interface for professional applications. Here are the most important facts:

• Maximum Data Rate: 96 gigabits per second (Gbit/s), compared to 40–48 Gbit/s for HDMI 2.1
• Maximum Refresh Rate: 240 hertz at UHD (3840×2160 pixels, 4K), up from 120 hertz (higher rates were previously outside of the official standard)
• Maximum Resolution: 12K with 12,288×6,480 pixels at 60 hertz
• Synchronised Sound: The new Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) aims to coordinate devices to avoid a delay (latency) between picture and sound.
• New Cables: Due to the doubled data rate, existing cables are not officially certified. They may work, but there’s no guarantee. Only new HDMI-Ultra96 cables are guaranteed to function. For lengths beyond around 3 metres, special cables with optical converters and fibre-optic transmission will likely be used because traditional copper cables can no longer handle the increased bandwidth.

HDMI Versions at a Glance

The overview below shows that for most living room and desktop setups, the higher performance of HDMI 2.2 is rarely necessary. Such enormous resolutions are mainly used for large advertising and information displays, virtual reality (VR) applications, or medical devices. Gamers may appreciate the possibility of 240 hertz at the now common UHD resolution, but they would need a very powerful graphics card. As of now, no hardware has been announced to support HDMI 2.2, and it’s unlikely to appear before autumn 2025.

There is good news for home cinema enthusiasts: LIP (Latency Indication Protocol) is a useful feature that doesn’t require significant data transfer and should therefore also work with older cables.

For everyday television use, HDMI 2.2 is unlikely to play a major role for the foreseeable future. Products with the new connection are not expected this year, so there’s no immediate need to worry about buying new cables. Gamers should only start considering new cables by the end of the year if manufacturers announce or launch the first monitors or graphics cards with HDMI 2.2. When it comes to 5K monitors running at 240 hertz or higher, older cables may indeed fail.

HDMI Versions in Detail

Below is a summary of all major HDMI versions released so far.

1. HDMI 1.0

• Specification: HDMI 1.0
• Introduced: December 2002
• Connector Types: Type A
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio): 4.95 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 1080p
• Max Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
• Colour Depth: 16 million (24-bit)
• Audio Formats: 8-channel PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG
• Additional Info: Transmits permissible resolutions
• Suitable HDMI Cable: HDMI Standard

2. HDMI 1.1

• Specification: HDMI 1.1
• Introduced: May 2004
• Connector Types: Type A, Type B
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio):
  • Type A: 4.95 Gbit/s
  • Type B: 7.92 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 1080p
• Max Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
• Colour Depth: 16 million (24-bit)
• Audio Formats: 8-channel PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG, DVD-Audio¹
• Additional Info: Transmits permissible resolutions
• Suitable HDMI Cable: HDMI Standard

3. HDMI 1.2

• Specification: HDMI 1.2
• Introduced: August 2005
• Connector Types: Type A, Type B
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio):
  • Type A: 4.95 Gbit/s
  • Type B: 7.92 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 1080p
• Max Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
• Colour Depth: 16 million (24-bit)
• Audio Formats: 8-channel PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG, DVD-Audio, SACD¹
• Additional Info: Transmits permissible resolutions
• Suitable HDMI Cable: HDMI Standard

4. HDMI 1.2a

• Specification: HDMI 1.2a
• Introduced: December 2005
• Connector Types: Type A, Type B
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio):
  • Type A: 4.95 Gbit/s
  • Type B: 7.92 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 1080p
• Max Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
• Colour Depth: 16 million (24-bit)
• Audio Formats: 8-channel PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG, DVD-Audio, SACD
• Additional: Device control via CEC, cable length check
• Suitable HDMI Cable: HDMI Standard

5. HDMI 1.3

• Specification: HDMI 1.3
• Introduced: June 2006
• Connector Types: Type A, Type C (Mini-HDMI)
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio): 10.2 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 1440p
• Max Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
• Colour Depth: 16 million (24-bit), Deep Colour (30, 36, 48-bit)
• Audio Formats: 8 PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG, DVD-Audio, SACD, Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, DTS-HD
• Additional: Lip-Sync to offset audio-video delay
• Recommended HDMI Cable: HDMI High Speed

6. HDMI 1.3a/b/c

• Specification: HDMI 1.3a/b/c
• Introduced: November 2006
• Connector Types: Type A, Type C (Mini-HDMI)
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio): 10.2 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 1440p
• Max Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
• Colour Depth: 16 million (24-bit), Deep Colour (30, 36, 48-bit)
• Audio Formats: 8 PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG, DVD-Audio, SACD, Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, DTS-HD
• Additional: 3D support (not standard, up to 1080i)
• Recommended HDMI Cable: HDMI High Speed

7. HDMI 1.4

• Specification: HDMI 1.4
• Introduced: May 2009
• Connector Types: Type A, Type C (Mini-HDMI), Type D (Micro-HDMI)
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio): 10.2 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 2160p
• Max Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
• Colour Depth: 16 million (24-bit), Deep Colour (30, 36, 48-bit)
• Audio Formats: 8 PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG, DVD-Audio, SACD, Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, DTS-HD
• Additional: Audio Return Channel (ARC) for screens with digital tuners
• Recommended HDMI Cable: HDMI High Speed

8. HDMI 1.4a

• Specification: HDMI 1.4a
• Introduced: March 2010
• Connector Types: Type A, Type C (Mini-HDMI), Type D (Micro-HDMI)
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio): 10.2 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 2160p
• Max Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
• Colour Depth: 16 million (24-bit), Deep Colour (30, 36, 48-bit)
• Audio Formats: 8 PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS-HD, MPEG, DVD-Audio, DSD (SACD), Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and sometimes Dolby Atmos outside of the official standard
• Additional: 3D standards for films and games (1080p/24 Hz), network connectivity
• Recommended HDMI Cable: HDMI High Speed

9. HDMI 2.0

• Specification: HDMI 2.0
• Introduced: September 2013
• Connector Types: Type A, Type C (Mini-HDMI), Type D (Micro-HDMI)
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio): 18 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 2160p at 60 Hz
• Max Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
• Colour Depth: 1 billion (30-bit), Deep Colour (30, 36, 48-bit)
• HDR: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
• Audio Formats: 8 PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS:X, MPEG, DVD-Audio, DSD (SACD), Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos
• Additional: 3D standards for films and games (2160p/60 Hz), 21:9 aspect ratio, network connectivity
• Recommended HDMI Cable: HDMI High Speed Premium (tested up to 18 Gbit/s)

10. HDMI 2.1

• Specification: HDMI 2.1
• Introduced: 2017
• Connector Types: Type A, Type C (Mini-HDMI), Type D (Micro-HDMI)
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio): 48 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 4320p at 60 Hz
• Max Refresh Rate: 120 Hz (sometimes 144, 165, or 240 Hz depending on the product)
• Colour Depth: 4,400 billion colours (42-bit)
• HDR: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
• Audio Formats: 8 PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS:X, MPEG, DVD-Audio, DSD (SACD), Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos
• Additional: Data-compressed modes for higher frame rates at 8K, 21:9 aspect ratio, network connectivity
• Recommended HDMI Cable: HDMI Ultra High Speed (tested up to 48 Gbit/s)

11. HDMI 2.2

• Specification: HDMI 2.2
• Introduced: 2025
• Connector Types: Type A, others unconfirmed
• Max Data Rate (Video & Audio): 96 Gbit/s
• Max Resolution: 12K (12,288 × 6,480)
• Max Refresh Rate: 480 Hz at 4K
• Colour Depth: 16-bit (66 million)
• HDR: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
• Audio Formats: 8 PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS:X, MPEG, DVD-Audio, DSD (SACD), Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos
• Recommended HDMI Cable: HDMI Ultra96 (tested up to 96 Gbit/s)

Disclaimer: The information above is based on current specifications and announcements. Actual product availability and compatibility may vary.