HDMI 2.2 vs. HDMI 2.1: What You Need to Know

Now called HDMI 2.1b pursuing insignificant updates, the spec's accomplishment brought caller capabilities, starting with higher video resolutions and refresh rates. It supports 4K video astatine 120 Hz (higher with definite PC graphics cards), 8K video astatine 60 Hz, and adjacent 10K video. HDMI 2.1b’s speedy refresh rates mostly travel into play with gaming, wherever it facilitates different precocious features similar VRR (variable refresh rate) for much fluid gameplay arsenic good arsenic ALLM (auto low-latency mode) and QFT (quick framework transport) for reduced latency. The spec besides supports each high-bitrate audio formats, including DTS Master Audio, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, and Dolby Atmos.

Other notable features announced with HDMI 2.1 see HDMI eARC for lossless hi-res audio transmission betwixt eARC-supported devices, and dynamic HDR support, which allows for HDR contented to beryllium optimized for video scene-by-scene oregon adjacent frame-by-frame.

Before you interest excessively overmuch astir which larboard you’re using, determination are immoderate important caveats to note. Dolby Vision HDR delivered dynamic HDR to compatible TVs implicit HDMI 2.0 years earlier HDMI 2.1, owed to however its dynamic metadata is embedded successful the video, and its rival, HDR10+, tin bash the same. Similarly, HDMI eARC is disposable implicit HDMI 2.0, arsenic shown successful newer TVs from brands similar TCL and Hisense, providing 2 HDMI 2.1 inputs and a abstracted HDMI eARC port.

HDMI 2.1 is backward-compatible with older HDMI versions, but not each features volition beryllium supported. You whitethorn besides request to upgrade your HDMI cables for the higher bandwidth required, swapping retired high-definition cables for ultra-high-definition cables similar this one.

What’s New successful HDMI 2.2?

With enactment for 8K and adjacent 10K video (which fundamentally doesn't beryllium for consumers) and each large hi-res audio formats, HDMI 2.1b has your location theatre covered for the foreseeable future. That means you don’t person to interest astir upgrading your TV oregon audio devices for HDMI 2.2 anytime soon.

Instead, the HDMI Forum is pitching the caller spec for commercialized applications and precocious user tech similar augmented world (AR) and virtual world (VR) devices. HDMI 2.2 erstwhile again upgrades the bandwidth transmission rate, this clip doubling it from 48 Gbps to 96 Gbps to amended “demanding data-intensive, immersive and virtual applications …” according to the Forum.