Tomasz Wadowski
HDMI has been with us for over 20 years. Since its debut in 2002, it has dominated the market for televisions, consoles, and AV equipment, becoming as commonplace as a television remote. But it seems that it has finally received serious competition – not from Apple, Sony, or Samsung, but… from China. A group of over 50 Chinese companies, including players like Hisense, TCL, Skyworth, and Huawei, has presented its own standard for transmitting audio and video – GPMI, which stands for General Purpose Media Interface. Sounds serious? We must admit, it does a bit.
What exactly is GPMI?
The new interface is set to be available in two versions: Type-C (resembling the USB-C we know from phones) and the larger Type-B, which will have its own connector. And right off the bat – the bandwidth of GPMI Type-C is expected to be as high as 96 Gb/s, while the Type-B version will reach 192 Gb/s. For comparison: the current HDMI 2.1 standard offers "only" 48 Gb/s. We are therefore talking about twice, or even four times the bandwidth. What does this mean? Full support for 8K visuals, higher frame rates, surround sound, and even... simultaneous power and data transmission. It sounds like a combination of HDMI, Thunderbolt, and USB in one.
GPMI is not just about image and sound
The Chinese approach the subject comprehensively. GPMI is to transmit image, sound, data and power – similar to Thunderbolt 5. Type-C will support up to 240W of power, while Type-B even up to 480W. Theoretically, a single cable could power all the AV equipment in the living room, transmit an 8K signal and synchronise it with the rest of the smart home. Not enough? GPMI also has its own equivalent of HDMI-CEC, so one cable – and the television turns on the console, changes the source, adjusts the volume of the amplifier… we know this.
When will we see GPMI?
The official date is not yet available, but the first products with GPMI are expected to appear "in the coming months". For now, it has been confirmed that Hisense, TCL, Skyworth, Konka, Huawei, and Xiaomi plan to implement the new standard in future televisions. The only question is whether it will be a global format or only for the Chinese market – at this moment, much indicates the latter.
Is GMPI a real threat to HDMI?
It depends. So far, none of the major players outside China – such as Samsung, Sony or LG – have declared support. But if GMPI indeed proves to be more versatile, faster and cheaper to license (or free), it could turn out that manufacturers start to take it seriously. Especially since HDMI 2.2 hasn't been released yet, and is already expected to be slower than GMPI. Will GMPI replace HDMI? Not anytime soon. But this is the first serious indication that the TV and AV market in China wants to be independent of Western standards. And considering how strongly Chinese companies are marking their presence in the consumer electronics world today, it is better not to ignore this topic.
If GMPI gains popularity – even just locally – it could mean greater differences between hardware versions for different markets. And for us, the users? More options… and more cables 😉
