Tag Archives: 8K

4K, 8K Test Broadcasts Carried Out By NHK



NHK LogoTime waits for no one. Nor does the inevitable progress of higher-resolution video. It still feels like true HD video has just barely been normalized here in the United States. And yet the push beyond HD, into 4K and even 8K, has begun. The latest example of the move forward comes from Japanese public broadcasting agency NHK (also known as Japan Broadcasting Corp.) as the company has begun testing both 4K and 8K broadcasts.

Of course, most viewers who can tune into these test broadcasts won’t really be able to see the full depth of the video transmissions, as 4K video is still riding the bleeding edge of consumer technology, and 8K is little more than a pipe dream today. Regardless, NHK will have public displays of the technology available at its broadcast centers across Japan.

NHK is hoping to make 4K and 8K video a regular part of its broadcast set by 2018. The broadcasting company hopes this move will help popularize the new formats in the lead up to the 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympics in Tokyo.

Traditionally, Japan has always been ahead of markets like the U.S. in terms of adoption of new technology. So there’s a good chance NHK will meet its goal in time for the Olympics. 4K TVs are currently available in most markets and are priced affordably. But I couldn’t find any estimates on what an 8K set might cost.