HDTV is still a rare catch here in the northern parts of Europe and even if we are expecting a buttload of HDTV broadcasts during the Soccer World Cup this summer, it will still be a while before it will be a common thing. It is hardly a secret that both Japan and USA already are there to a great extent. Japan is one of the pioneers in HDTV and it is therefore no big surprise that a Japanese TV company, called NHK, has displayed the TV format of the future, Ultra HD. HDTV has a maximal resolution at 1920x1080px which is quite impressive compared to SDTV. But compared to Ultra HD it is almost ridiculous. Ultra HD has a specified resolution that is 16 times higher, namely 7680×4320 pixels, I.e. 32 Megapixel.
Ultra HD has a bitrate at ~640Mbps which is quite a lot more than the 15-30Mbps most HDTV signals has. For those who are interested in more than just detailed picture it will also offer support for 24 channel sound (22.2) the icing on the cake, literally.
NHK’s Ultra HD technology has already caused quite a stir among the leading HD actores, but since there are only two Ultra HD cameras in the whole world and the format is not expected to be available for consumers until 2025 don’t get your hopes up too much.
Source: MultiChannel
