For years, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) has been the go-to for hooking up your computer to a monitor, your Blu-Ray player to your TV, and pretty much everything in between. But now, there’s a new wired media standard coming out of China that could shake things up.
According to reports from HKEPC (via Tom’s Hardware), a group called the Shenzhen 8K UHD Video Industry Cooperation Alliance—made up of over 50 Chinese companies including TCL, HiSilicon, Hisense, and Huawei—has introduced a new connector called the General Purpose Media Interface, or GPMI.
The goal? To handle 8K video and cut down on the number of cables needed for both data and power between devices.
GPMI comes in two types: a Type-B with a proprietary connector, and a Type-C that works with the USB-C standard.
GPMI is designed to push way more data than current standards like HDMI and DisplayPort. The Type-C version can hit a max bandwidth of 96Gbps and deliver up to 240W of power.
Meanwhile, the Type-B bumps that up to a whopping 192Gbps and 480W. That’s a game-changer for anyone with a gaming laptop or a low-power gaming PC, since a single cable could handle both power and display.
GPMI is rolling out step by step—first to home entertainment devices, then cars and transportation, and finally industrial uses.