Reports from specialized media indicate that HDMI Org, the body responsible for coordinating and approving standards for the widely used digital port, is set to unveil the specifications for the upcoming HDMI standard on January 6, 2025. This announcement will take place just before the official commencement of the CES 2025 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The organization has stated that the new standard will enhance bandwidth, which is currently capped at 48 Gbps with the HDMI 2.1 port. However, no additional technical details have been provided, including the name of the forthcoming version of the connector, leading to speculation that it may be referred to as v2.2. This lack of information is likely to generate interest and encourage further speculation.
The likelihood that this will become the new standard is quite significant. The current HDMI 2.1 version faces constraints not only in bandwidth but also in resolution and refresh rate, which no longer meet the needs of monitor manufacturers planning to launch models with refresh rates exceeding 500 Hz next year. Additionally, existing models with a 480 Hz refresh rate can only process video through stream compression.
Some sources have even suggested that the new standard will not only accelerate the development of 8K TVs and monitors but will also motivate studios to produce 8K content. However, it is challenging to determine whether this reflects a lack of understanding of market dynamics or an effort to instill optimism among those selling or owning 8K TVs. One thing is certain: if, over the past nine years since the introduction of the first 8K TV, neither studios nor television networks have released a single film in 8K resolution, the advent of the new HDMI standard is unlikely to change that.
Nevertheless, there is existing content that cannot be widely distributed due to the limitations of current standards—specifically, films in 3D HFR, which are presently accessible only to Apple Vision Pro users.
