The back of my entertainment center used to be a plate of spaghetti, minus the plate. It was organized only to the extent that the proper cables were plugged into the proper ports. Besides that, it was a tangled mess of speaker wire, RCA audio cables, component cables, composite cables, coax (for cable and antenna), extra cables, and probably tumbleweeds.
Over the years, the retirement of several components, such as my beloved five-disc CD player, certainly contributed to reducing the chaos behind the scenes. However, nothing really changed the connection game for me quite like HDMI. One cable that could handle audio and video? You could almost hear a choir sing "Ode to Joy" as the clouds parted and a rainbow's end took root behind my television.
Since then, despite initial opposition, this consumer technology has been embraced at the Pro AV level as well. USB-C is starting to muscle in on its territory, but both connectivity options appear to be thriving. So, I suppose it's as good a time as any to introduce a new interface and disrupt the industry all over again.
Welcome to the party, GPMI.
Short for General Purpose Media Interface, GPMI was announced in April, and it has the backing of more than 50 Chinese companies, including big consumer brands like Hisense and TCL, through the Shenzhen 8K UHD Video Industry Collaboration Alliance.
What makes GPMI so special? Perhaps the easiest way to explain is to offer a comparison. HDMI 2.2 was introduced earlier this year at CES. The big talking point was its jump to a maximum data rate of 96 Gbps, double the 48 Gbps of HDMI 2.1, which was introduced in 2017. GPMI will offer two cable options: Its USB-C cable also supports 96 Gbps, but its proprietary Type-B cable supports 192 Gbps.
It's easy to make a case for GPMI … at least on paper.
My gut reaction is to take points off for yet another I/O port—I'm still recovering from my relationship with Apple's Lightning cable—but double the data rate of HDMI's recent doubling of its data rate gives me pause. Between 4K esports, 8K content, and the next big bandwidth-sucking visual innovation (whatever it is), more data is always appreciated.
And then there is GPMI's other attractive feature: power. HDMI is certainly not going to charge your phone or power your display. In contrast, GPMI can deliver up to 240W (USB-C) or 480W (Type-B). Throw in some data transfer capabilities and it's easy to make a case for GPMI … at least on paper.
Ken Hong, head of corporate communications and public relations for Hisense Americas Region, told me the company recognizes the potential of GPMI. "That said, GPMI is still very much in its early stages, with ongoing work on chipset implementation and broader adoption," he explained. "As a member of the Shenzhen 8K UHD Video Industry Cooperation Alliance, our involvement reflects our commitment to contributing to the advancement of display interface technologies while exploring the possibilities for integrating GPMI into our future products as the standard matures."
So, GPMI isn't quite ready to stake its real estate claim on the back panel of your next Black Friday TV purchase. But it might just be ready for the one after that.
The big question is: Will you care?
LG, Samsung, and Sony—three of the biggest names in TVs—are not in the alliance, so universal industry adoption is not a given. Heck, adoption outside of China isn't a guarantee, either. And don't discount the ubiquitous nature of HDMI. It's here, it works, and newer versions already support 8K (which is yet to firmly plant its own flag in the consumer or professional mainstream).
In other words, this could develop into a fascinating format war over the next few years. Or not. I'll let you know a in a few Black Fridays.
