Your next TV might claim HDMI 2.2, but read the fine print before you pay up

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HDMI 2.1 has been out for years, but many high-end TVs don’t support it on all ports. Now the industry is already gearing up for the next generation, with HDMI 2.2 devices expected to start rolling in in 2027.

The new standard was first revealed at CES 2025 and released later that year, promising a big bandwidth jump. HDMI 2.1 maxes out at 48 Gbps, but HDMI 2.2 can go up to 96 Gbps, doubling the data throughput for future TVs, monitors, gaming hardware, and home theater gear.

According to Rob Tobias, CEO and president of HDMI Licensing Administrator, chip makers are already preparing FRL2 silicon samples, with certification and testing currently underway, FlatpanelsHD reports. That timeline is similar to HDMI 2.1, which was announced in 2017 but didn’t show up in LG’s OLED TVs until two years later.

The new HDMI 2.1 had to move away from the older TMDS signaling method and to Fixed Rate Link (FRL). Building on that, HDMI 2.2 is adding FRL2, which could make adoption easier and hopefully stave off some of the compatibility headaches that came up in the early days of HDMI 2.1.

What you do get is HDMI 2.2, which allows for uncompressed 4K at 240Hz, uncompressed 8K at 60Hz, and even 4K at 480Hz with chroma subsampling. With Display Stream Compression enabled, the spec takes it even further and supports things like 8K 240Hz and 1440p refresh rates over 1,000Hz. Testing is underway for some 4K 240Hz TVs, according to the HDMI organization.

For home theater users, higher frame rates could be a boon on more than one front. HDMI 2.2 also brings LIP (Latency Indication Protocol), a feature aimed at bettering the audio and video sync between TVs, soundbars, and AV receivers — something that many setups still struggle with today.

However, buyers should be aware of one important consideration. As with HDMI 2.1, the full bandwidth upgrade is optional. Manufacturers can say that a product is HDMI 2.2 even if they don’t support the max 96Gbps speeds. The standard has three bandwidth tiers: 64Gbps, 80Gbps, and 96Gbps, so it’s going to be important to double-check spec sheets.