Understanding the standards and items for US mandatory HDMI certification is crucial for compliant product market entry. Below, I have outlined the core information as of October 2025, especially the changes brought by the newly released HDMI 2.2 specification.

The Mandatory Nature and Legal Basis of HDMI Certification:

First, it's essential to understand that the core of HDMI certification's mandatory nature lies in trademark use legality, not purely technical standards.

1.Trademark Authorization is Core: According to HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA) policy, any product legally using the HDMI trademark, logo, or name must have its manufacturer be an authorized HDMI Adopter, and the product must pass designated Compliance Testing.

2.Customs Active Enforcement:** The HDMI Association collaborates with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to monitor imported goods. Products using the HDMI trademark without certification are considered infringing goods and face risks of being detained or even destroyed.

  HDMI 2.2 Core New Regulations and Certification Items:

In 2025, the HDMI Forum released the HDMI 2.2 specification, bringing significant updates to certification standards and items.

Certification Dimension             HDMI 2.2 Core New Regulations & Changes

Bandwidth & Cables            Bandwidth increased to 96Gbps, introducing a new "Ultra96 HDMI Cable"certification category. All "Ultra96" cables must be certified and display the certification label

Resolution & Refresh Rate          Supports higher resolutions and refresh rates, e.g., 12K@120Hz** and **16K@60Hz, and provides uncompressed full chroma format support for 8K and 4K content

New Protocols                      Introduced the Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), aimed at optimizing audio/video synchronization in multi-device chains (e.g., home theater systems)

Certification Item Updates          For devices supporting HDMI 2.2, mandatory new tests added for 12K@120Hz support verification and require passing the Fixed Rate Link (FRL) protocol connection success rate test(failure rate must be ≤1%)

Beyond the new HDMI 2.2 requirements, the certification testing itself includes a series of general and specific items to ensure product compatibility and performance.

  General Core Test Items:

1.Electrical Performance Tests: Verify the product's physical layer signal quality, e.g., Signal Integrity (Eye Diagram analysis) and Clock Jitter (requirement ≤0.15UI).

2.Protocol Consistency Tests: Ensure correct implementation of the HDMI protocol stack, including CEC control commands, Data Island encoding, etc.

3.Performance Verification Tests: Validate performance for video (e.g., 8K@60Hz, HDR10+), audio (e.g., eARC, requiring latency ≤2ms), etc.

Specific Test Content:

1.Basic Devices (e.g., Cables, Adapters): Focus on Bandwidth Verification (HDMI 2.1 requires 48Gbps, HDMI 2.2 requires 96Gbps) and EMI immunity tests.

2.Complex Devices (e.g., 8K TVs, VR devices): Require testing advanced features like Dynamic HDR, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).

3.Industrial Equipment: May require additional Environmental Suitability Tests, e.g., temperature cycling from -30°C to 85°C and vibration tests.

  HDMI Certification Important Reminders:

1.Utilize Pre-testing: While not mandatory, it effectively increases the first-pass rate in formal testing, avoiding delays and cost increases from retesting.

2.Leverage "Family Models": If subsequent products only change casing or color with no major hardware/firmware changes, quickly extend certification via "Family Models" without repeating full tests.

3.Modular Design: Prioritize using already HDMI-certified chips or interface modules during initial product design to simplify testing and reduce risk/cost.

4.Avoid Potential Risks:

·Never Use Trademarks Without Certification: Using the HDMI logo without certification risks goods seizure, fines (up to 30% of goods value), and forced removal from e-commerce platforms.

·Adapt to New Standards: If older devices are not upgraded to the mandatory HDMI 2.2 standard, they face sales bans, requiring urgent hardware upgrades and retesting.

We hope this detailed overview helps you fully understand the latest US HDMI certification standards, items, and processes. If you can share more specific product types (e.g., cable, TV box, or TV), BLUEASIA Tech: 13632500972 will provide professional certification consulting services!