Displays & Screens

8K TV: The current state of play

2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the first significant public demonstration of 8K television when NHK and the BBC co-operated to present the London Olympic Games on 15-meter-wide screens in London, Glasgow, and Bradford, writes John Maxwell Hobbs.

Since that time, there has been widespread adoption of Ultra High Definition (UHD) television in the form of 4K, but widespread consumer adoption of 8K TV still remains an elusive target.

8K TV: 8K evolution

8K, also known as UHDTV-2, is 7680 pixels wide by 4320 pixels tall - sixteen times as many pixels as current 1080p HDTV. This is a similar level of detail to 70 mm IMAX film stock. However, UHD’s enhancements are not limited simply to pixel density. It also offers higher dynamic range and an expanded colour space in both its 4K and 8K flavours.

The first significant step on the road to 8K was in May of 2012 when NHK demonstrated the first UHD shoulder mounted camera. The Olympic games transmission followed shortly after and in August of that year, the ITU officially approved the UHDTV standard, incorporating both 4K and 8K resolutions.

The 10 years since then has seen significant consumer uptake of 4K – TV sets can be found for under £300 and there are a large number of 4K channels available. However, the story has not been the same for 8K. Sets that support the higher resolution made up only...

Latest Feature
1062915296

AI and the evolution of MAM: Part one – risk analysis

Forms of AI and automation have been making efficiencies in media asset management (MAM) systems for some time, but as the technology becomes more powerful and its potential applications more expansive, what are the major considerations and risks of AI’s role in MAM? James McKeown explores in the first of a three-part investigation.

Read more
Favourites:

Registered users only: Login

Share this:
Other themes: