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...
You are not signed in
Only registered users can read the rest of this article.
Is the race to 6G being driven by necessity, or FOMO?
6G is coming and promises massive improvements in efficiency across society. But beyond those with vested interests, 6G may not justify either hype or investment. Adrian Pennington reports.
IBC Content Everywhere: Personalisation and the role of AI
As the battle for views intensifies, streaming providers are increasingly turning to personalisation as a key strategy to attract and retain customers. In this piece, Content Everywhere companies explore this fundamental pillar of the attention economy, how it's changing, and what role AI is set to play.
Inside IBC’s Innovation and Insight Leadership Roundtable: Speed, sovereignty, and the value question
Top industry experts from the DTG, BBC, and more sat down with IBC365 to discuss how broadcasters plan to thrive in a time of heightened competition, viewer expectations, and constrained budgets.
Going mainstream: Private 5G’s rising popularity in live production
Private 5G is gaining momentum as a connectivity option for live production. As deployments expand across sport, news, and large-scale events, broadcasters are exploring how dedicated networks can support more flexible and reliable production workflows.
Oscars 2026: Contender breakdown for cinematography, editing and VFX
Angst and destruction are central recurring themes of the 98th Academy Awards, with multiple nominees using fire as a symbol of humanity’s fatal disregard for the planet.
