8K Home Theatre Technology in Development.
December 03, 2012
With 4K display technology finally making its way into the mass market, Japanese researchers at national broadcasters NHK are busy working on the next generation of HD Technology, currently referred to as 8k.
‘8K’ which refers to a horizontal resolution of 8000 pixels represents the next standard in TV technology that NHK intends to adopt, and they have already built a 144” prototype using this technology. This prototype television currently on display in their headquarters can produce the equivalent 16 times the resolution of today’s television and is being billed as the ‘Ultimate Standard’ of TV – the highest resolution the human eye can perceive.
The challenge, of course, is finding content. Currently a priority is being placed on upscaling old content to 4k by re-scanning film negatives and re-compositing special effects (as seen in Paramount’s most recent re-released of Star Trek: The Next Generation on Blu-ray) while more recent material shot digitally has generally been captured at the higher spec. It will probably come as no surprise that the 8k charge will be lead by nature programming–National Geographic and other sources like Discovery HD were the first to adopt HD, the first to adopt 4k, and will most likely be the first to deliver consumer-ready 8k content.
It is estimated that this technology will not be available for another 7 years or so, as significant barriers still exist such as high cost, transmission bandwidth, and available content – however given the current evolution of technology, don’t be surprised if we don’t see it sooner!
Should you wait for 8k?
The question is: should you wait for 8k? In short: no. It’s taken nearly three years to get 4k to a place where we feel comfortable recommending it to our clients; ratifying the standard, making sure that all of our gear works seamlessly in the Pure Image way, and that there’s enough content to ensure a satisfactory experience. We’ve got a great blog that reflects Why your next display should be 4k, so give it a read.
As always, if you’re interested in learning more or if you’d like to schedule a Pure Image in-home visit, please contact us by phone or by email.
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