HDMI Forum

What HDMI Forum does

HDMI Forum, Inc. is a non-profit mutual benefit corporation founded in October 2011 by the original HDMI Founders (Hitachi Maxell, Panasonic, Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Technicolor, and Toshiba) to develop and maintain HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) specifications. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, the organization operates as an open trade association with approximately 94 member companies (as of January 2019) representing leading consumer electronics manufacturers, semiconductor vendors, cable makers, and content providers including Sony, Samsung, LG, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Google, Microsoft, and Netflix. The Forum's purpose is to guide the future direction of HDMI technology, develop new versions of the HDMI Specification, and foster broader global adoption and interoperability through technical and marketing working groups.

The Forum's core products are the HDMI specifications themselves, with major versions including HDMI 2.0 (September 2013, 18Gbps), 2.0a (April 2015, HDR support), 2.1 (November 2017, 48Gbps with VRR, eARC, Dynamic HDR), and HDMI 2.2 (June 2025), which doubles bandwidth to 96Gbps via next-generation FRL2 signaling technology, supports resolutions up to 16K, uncompressed 4K@240Hz at 10/12-bit color, and introduces the Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) for audio-video synchronization. The Forum complements specifications with mandatory cable certification programs — Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable Certification (for HDMI 2.1) and the newer Ultra96 brand (supporting 64/80/96 Gbps tiers for HDMI 2.2) — administered through HDMI Forum Authorized Testing Centers, alongside interoperability events such as HDMI Plugfest.

The business model relies on two revenue streams: (1) recurring membership fees paid by the ~94 corporate members, and (2) licensing royalties collected through the HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA), which serves as the exclusive global licensing agent for HDMI 2.x specifications and provides marketing, promotional, and administrative services to adopters. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The standards have achieved deep market penetration, with 8 billion cumulative HDMI-enabled devices shipped by 2019 and nearly 1 billion projected for that year alone, supported by 1,500+ HDMI adopters and 140+ cable manufacturers in the Premium Certification Program (January 2020).

Name

HDMI Forum

Legal name

HDMI Forum, Inc.

Website

https://hdmiforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HDMI Forum, Inc. is a non-profit trade association that develops HDMI specifications and certification programs, serving consumer electronics manufacturers, semiconductor companies, cable makers, and content providers through 94 member companies and 1,500+ adopters globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: HDMI Forum generates revenue through membership fees from companies that join the organization to participate in developing HDMI specifications. Membership is open to any interested company.
2. Licensing Administration Services: HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA) handles licensing of the HDMI specification on behalf of the HDMI Forum, providing marketing, promotional, and administrative services to adopters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HDMI Forum is a non-profit mutual benefit corporation that develops and maintains the HDMI Specification, the technical standard governing digital audio/video transmission between consumer electronics, PCs, and displays. It governs the evolution of HDMI through its member companies, while licensing and certification programs are administered by HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA).

Product overview

HDMI Forum is an open trade association that develops and maintains HDMI Specifications—a family of technical standards for digital audio/video interfaces. The core product is the HDMI Specification, with major versions including HDMI 2.0 (2013), 2.0a (2015), 2.1 (2017), and 2.2 (2025). Supporting the specifications are cable certification programs: the Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable Certification Program (for 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 features) and the newer Ultra96 certification (for 64/80/96Gbps HDMI 2.2 features). The organization also facilitates interoperability testing through HDMI Plugfest events. Key specification features include Dynamic HDR, eARC, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and the new Latency Indication Protocol (LIP). HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA) handles licensing and certification services on behalf of the Forum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HDMI 2.2 Specification
• HDMI 2.1 Specification
• HDMI 2.0a Specification
• HDMI 2.0 Specification
• Ultra96 HDMI Cable
• Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable Certification Program
• HDMI Cable Certification App
• HDMI Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8 billion HDMI-enabled products shipped globally since 2002
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA) is the official agent appointed by the HDMI Forum to license Version 2.2 of the HDMI Specification and earlier versions. HDMI LA provides marketing, promotional, licensing and administrative services. The organization serves as the primary interface for companies seeking to adopt HDMI technology and implement the specification in their products.
• Television AcademyminorOthersThe Television Academy awarded the HDMI interface with the Primetime Emmy Engineering Award for engineering excellence in television in November 2014, recognizing the technology's significant impact on television transmission, recording, and reception.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA): The exclusive licensing agent appointed by HDMI Forum to license the HDMI specification to adopters. Operationally distinct from the Forum but part of the same HDMI ecosystem, administering royalties, marketing, and certification services globally.
• Wi-Fi Alliance: Industry consortium that certifies Wi-Fi standards and is a comparable member-driven SDO with global certification programs. Thematically relevant as wireless display/casting standards increasingly compete with wired HDMI.
• Bluetooth SIG: Standards body that governs Bluetooth wireless connectivity — relevant as a comparable industry consortium model with a member-driven spec development and certification program, and as a thematic peer in consumer device connectivity standards.
• Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA): Industry alliance that developed interoperability guidelines for sharing digital media across home networked devices. Comparable as a member-driven standards organization addressing consumer AV/media connectivity, now largely dormant but historically a thematic peer.

Direct peers

• VESA: Video Electronics Standards Association develops the DisplayPort digital display interface standard, which is the primary direct competitor to HDMI for PC monitors and embedded displays. Both are open industry standards bodies governing wired AV connectivity with member-driven spec development and certification programs.
• USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF): USB-IF maintains the USB specification family, including USB-C and USB4/Thunderbolt-compatible modes that increasingly support display, data, and power over a single connector — a direct alternative to HDMI for many PC, mobile, and consumer electronics use cases.

Emerging players

• DVB Project: Industry-led consortium that develops standards for digital video broadcasting. A fellow open standards organization in the broader video delivery ecosystem, with a comparable governance and membership structure to HDMI Forum.
• Dolby Laboratories: Audio/visual technology licensor and HDMI Forum member whose Dolby Vision and Atmos formats are increasingly carried over HDMI interfaces. Comparable as a standards-influencing AV technology licensor, though Dolby is a for-profit company.
• Thunderbolt (Intel): Intel-led high-bandwidth interface standard (now integrated with USB4) offering display, data, and power over a single USB-C connector — increasingly competing with HDMI in PC and docking-station use cases.

Regional players

• MHL Consortium: Previously developed the Mobile High-Definition Link standard for connecting mobile devices to displays. Historically a direct competitor to HDMI in the mobile connectivity category; though now largely superseded, it represents the alternative interface ecosystem HDMI Forum competes within mobile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HDMIForum
• Facebookfacebook.com/HDMIForum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hdmi-forum
• Instagraminstagram.com/hdmiforum

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HDMI Forum