Sharp, Japanese electronics company, will release the world’s first commercially available 8K television on October 30, 2015 (next month) for 16 million yen ($133,000).
The 8K TV measures 85-inches and features a 7680 pixel by 4320 pixel resolution, delivering 16 times more pixel density than 1080p, and four times more than 4K, creating images so clear and detailed that they appear almost 3D.
Despite being on sale to the general public next month, Tech consultant Chris Green believes the TV will attract mainly professionals looking to test the broadcast capabilities of the format.
“The attraction will be for commercial applications — video walls and things like that,” Green said. “8K screens could offer a very interesting video alternative to today’s shop window and billboard displays — which show static advertising — because their extreme clarity means they can show lots of text and would be as readable as a poster.”
As Japan has relatively small homes, residents may not be interested in purchasing the 8K TV either. “Japan's a region in which the average size of TVs sold tends to be smaller, and we think the minimum size 8K TVs would be sold at would be 65in,” said Abhi Mallick, from IHS Technology.
Due to the 8K wall’s technical restraints, users of the TV will have to use workarounds to take advantage of its full capabilities. Its built-in TV tuner cannot actually receive broadcasts in 8K; rather, video has to be fed in via four separate HDMI cables, which are needed to handle the quantities of data involved.
The resulting image delivers 104 pixels per inch, which is about a fifth of the density of smartphone displays, but is more than enough to allow people to read small text or details when standing close to the screen.
While 8K content is such a rare commodity, the product may ultimately be used in hospitals to provide keyhole surgeons with better imagery.
Source: BBC
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