Next-Gen HDMI Specifications to Be Announced in January Before CES 2025

[Nomad76]

The HDMI Forum confirmed the development of the next-generation HDMI standard with increased bandwidth. According to various media reports, including Videocardz and Dday, the press release from HDMI Forum indicates the possibility of new cables or refinement of existing specifications. Moreover, it could mean we will have new HDMI 2.2 specs. The current HDMI 2.1 specifications, established in 2017, provide bandwidth up to 48 Gbps and support native non-DSC configurations for 4K at 144 Hz and 8K at 30 Hz. When combined with Display Stream Compression (DSC) technology, the current standard can handle up to 10K at 120 Hz. A bandwidth increase could enable higher resolutions and refresh rates without DSC compression.

This development of new HDMI specifications is due to the emergence of other display interface standards such as DisplayPort 2.1, which offers up to 80 Gbps over UHBR20. AMD's Radeon RX 7000 series and Intel's recently launched Arc Battlemage GPUs support UHBR 13.5 while the Radeon PRO supports UHBR20. The HDMI Forum is scheduled to release these new specifications on January 6th, one day before the official CES 2025 opening event on January 7th. With the launch of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 and AMD's Radeon RX 8000 series at CES 2025, it would be interesting to see if the latest graphics cards will support the HDMI 2.2 specs.



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[3valatzy]

Finally! Great for 8K@240Hz@10-bit videos:

For now, only the AMD Radeon PRO support DisplayPort 2.1 @UHBR20 - 80 Gbps full max speed.

 

[bonehead123]

First we had 100's of assorted variations on USB generations/specs/versions naming conventions, which was & still is a clusterf*ck to say the least, and it appears the same thing will happen with HDMI

 

[Daven]

I bet this gets adopted faster than DP2.

 

[AnarchoPrimitiv]

First we had 100's of assorted variations on USB generations/specs/versions naming conventions, which was & still is a clusterf*ck to say the least, and it appears the same thing will happen with HDMI

I know, it's ridiculous

 

[Tomorrow]

Great. Now we wait 5+ years until it's actually adopted and used on scale...

 

[Baba]

That's definitely needed for the 8k TVs. Right now they're limited to 8k @ 60Hz.

 

[sephiroth117]

I wonder if it will be higher than DP2.1 (80gbps)

I bought a DP 2.1 display, just waiting for newer GPUs now, hoping they do not go insane on the pricing

DSC is very good but I upgraded my display anyway, going with no DSC is just a nice bonus at this point, recently got a 4K oled and it had DP2.1 UHBR20

 

[ir_cow]

I bet this gets adopted faster than DP2.

Right? I've been waiting 2 years for DP2, yet no cards support it yet.

 

[3valatzy]

Right? I've been waiting 2 years for DP2, yet no cards support it yet.

Radeon RX 7900 XTX supports DP2 at only limited UHBR13 or 54 Gbps, not the full UHBR20 or 80 Gbps.

Still better than Nvidia's which doesn't support anything of the above at all.

 

[Daven]

Right? I've been waiting 2 years for DP2, yet no cards support it yet.

Alchemist and RDNA3 have DP2 these last two years. Battlemage has it too. I bought 7900XT for DP2 (don’t care about Nvidia cards because I don’t use RT or super sampling).

It’s the monitor selection with DP2 that’s abysmal.

 

[ir_cow]

@Daven Looking for UHBR20, not HDMI 2.1 bandwidth

 

[AcE]

Considering fact that HDMI is foremost for TVs not monitors, this is more than unneeded and irrelevant, nobody uses a TV that needs any higher spec than HDMI2.1 can currently provide. In other words, HDMI 2.1 is already plenty fast.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Considering fact that HDMI is foremost for TVs not monitors, this is more than unneeded and irrelevant, nobody uses a TV that needs any higher spec than HDMI2.1 can currently provide. In other words, HDMI 2.1 is already plenty fast.

It'd be a shame if some of the very best displays for PC gaming today were, in fact, TVs...

 

[TumbleGeorge]

I wonder if it will be higher than DP2.1 (80gbps)

Is possible. USB4 v2.0 and Thunderbolt 5 support up to 120gbps in one direction.

 

[chrcoluk]

Great. Now we wait 5+ years until it's actually adopted and used on scale...

That's the market, its harder to get people to upgrade when not drip feeding tech advancements.

The mobile phone market mastered it and its bled into other products now.

 

[Neo_Morpheus]

Sadly, no TVs have a proper DisplayPort port, which i wanted, since the stupid HDMI consortium hates open source:

HDMI Forum to AMD: No, you can’t make an open source HDMI 2.1 driver

Linux users can’t hit the same resolutions and speeds as Windows—or DisplayPort.

arstechnica.com

 

[AcE]

It'd be a shame if some of the very best displays for PC gaming today were, in fact, TVs...

Console gaming perhaps, for PC gaming it's not even in the top 10, or top 20.

All OLED (at least the 240 ones) gaming monitors, all OLED gaming monitors with dual mode (240/480), multiple ultra wide monitors like from Samsung, are all in front of this. A big TV is suboptimal for PC usage in general, it's too big. Whereas for Console gaming it's fine.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Console gaming perhaps, for PC gaming it's not even in the top 10, or top 20.

All OLED (at least the 240 ones) gaming monitors, all OLED gaming monitors with dual mode (240/480), multiple ultra wide monitors like from Samsung, are all in front of this. A big TV is suboptimal for PC usage in general, it's too big. Whereas for Console gaming it's fine.

Haha, you'll have to pry my 55' G3 out of my cold dead hands.

Sadly, no TVs have a proper DisplayPort port, which i wanted, since the stupid HDMI consortium hates open source:

HDMI Forum to AMD: No, you can’t make an open source HDMI 2.1 driver

Linux users can’t hit the same resolutions and speeds as Windows—or DisplayPort.

arstechnica.com

DisplayPort isn't bound by HDMI Forum rules. They don't add a DP port to save costs, since HDMI already works.

 

[Neo_Morpheus]

since HDMI already works.

Except when your OS is Linux.

You lose 4k@120hz, VRR and other functionality.

Intel bypassed this by using a DP to HDMI converter inside the gpu and Ngreedia doesnt even have true open source drivers.

If you want to run say ChimeraOS, (which only supports proper open source drivers) you are stuck between a rock and a hard place when using a TV.

I am curious if AMD will use the same workaround as intel with the upcoming rdna4.

A bit more info here:

HDMI Forum Rejects Open-Source HDMI 2.1 Driver Support Sought By AMD - Phoronix

www.phoronix.com

 

[AcE]

Except when your OS is Linux.

use windows or use a proper monitor, problem solved. Linux isn't tolerant enough for weird setups. Does a HDMI to DP (1.4+) adapter exist?

 

[Dr. Dro]

Except when your OS is Linux.

You lose 4k@120hz, VRR and other functionality.

Intel bypassed this by using a DP to HDMI converter inside the gpu and Ngreedia doesnt even have true open source drivers.

If you want to run say ChimeraOS, (which only supports proper open source drivers) you are stuck between a rock and a hard place when using a TV.

I am curious if AMD will use the same workaround as intel with the upcoming rdna4.

A bit more info here:

HDMI Forum Rejects Open-Source HDMI 2.1 Driver Support Sought By AMD - Phoronix

www.phoronix.com

HDMI works if you use the proprietary driver. If you opt to use Linux exclusively with open-source software, don't expect much help from the proprietary camp. This is no exception, really. Given the overwhelming minority that actually goes to that length, it becomes a "you" problem very fast, not that I don't agree that the output should be supported, just that you also have to plan ahead and build your machine accordingly if you're going to place yourself within a niche.

 

[Neo_Morpheus]

use windows

In my particualr case, I replaced my Xbox with a PC, but wanted the same console experience.

Pulling that off with Windows is a nightmare and in some case, you need to pay extra.

ChimeraOS is a clone of the SteamOS used in the Steam Deck and it works perfectly, except for this issue.

Distros are bound by the GPL and only open source drivers are accepted out of the box. some get away with the option of "Install third party drivers" but I am not entirely sure why distros like Red Hat and Fedora dont include such options out of the box.

proper monitor

Havent found a proper 65" OLED monitor that replaces my LG TV.

Linux isn't tolerant enough for weird setups.

Please see above.

Does a HDMI to DP (1.4+) adapter exist?

Yes, but you lose VRR and if I recall correctly, HDR.

HDMI works if you use the proprietary driver

AMD doesnt have such thing in Linux, only in Windows.

There is the so called AMD Pro closed source driver but the AMDGPU kernel driver IS the official AMD driver. The proprietary AMDGPU-PRO driver set provides things like OpenGL, Vulkan , OpenCL, etc., but the open source Mesa project also provides that stuff.

If you opt to use Linux exclusively with open-source software

Not entirely sure about the how or why, but as mentioned above, Valve, Red Hat and others will only ship open source drivers.

In that particular case, your hardware simply works out of the box without having to fiddle with anything.

The problems comes when you want to install and use closed source drivers.

what is worse, there are more and more PC monitors that only comes with HDMI and maybe a VGA port, but not a DP port.

 

[AcE]

In my particualr case, I replaced my Xbox with a PC, but wanted the same console experience.

I honestly have that, with Windows.

Pulling that off with Windows is a nightmare and in some case, you need to pay extra.

No nightmares here. Didn't pay extra.

Havent found a proper 65" OLED monitor that replaces my LG TV.

Because 65" is far over "monitor" size, it's TV size aka "television", which isn't used for PCs (as per usual on a office table) as it implies. Your needs are just too "special". Just use Windows or accept a different size perhaps.

 

[Neo_Morpheus]

I honestly have that, with Windows.

How exactly are you doing this, using PlayNite?

No nightmares here.

Might be an exageration on my part, but I tried setting up PlayNite and Steam Big Picture mode and you simply have to make too many changes to get to the same spot that you get with ChimeraOS.

Have to enable autologin.

Have to set up a proper trigger to wake up the PC just with the controller.

If you dont use Xbox Games or the Xbox app, need to disable it or it will open up when you press certain buttons.

A bunch of others that I forgot.

Because 65" is far over "monitor" size, it's TV size aka "television"

Maybe you missed the part where I said I replaced my Xbox, so its couch gaming and its the living room TV.

Your needs are just too "special".

I dont think that replacing a console is that special and there are plenty of others that dont want a Playstation or Xbox but want the same experience on their living room.

Just use Windows or accept a different size perhaps.

See reasons above.