According to a recent report, the world’s first 4K or UHD TV broadcasts will begin in Japan from July 2014.
The report from Ashai Shimbun claims that the Japanese government is planning to start these Ultra High Definition TV broadasts in around 18 months time. This will be two years ahead of schedule.
The intention with this early launch is to stimulate demand for UHD TVs – many of which, of course, come from major Japanese countries such as Sony and Panasonic.
Early adopters of these TV sets currently have very little 4K content to use with them, yet the likes of the LG 84LM960V can cost as much as £20,000.
Bringing the launch date for UHD or 4K TV broadcasts to July 2014 will enable early adopters to catch the final matches of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil – one of the premier television events in the world.
Japan is also known to be leading the way with plans for the 8K format which, whilst still technically under the UHD banner, is twice as sharp again as the 4K standard. The country will be launching an 8K TV broadcast test in 2016.
4K in the UK
Outside of Japan, it seems broadcasters are far from willing to invest in the 4K format. Recently, a Panasonic representative told TrustedReviews that not a single broadcaster is keen on pressing forward with UHD – even our own BBC.
According to Panasonic’s Senior Manager for TV Fabrice Estornel, broadcasters who have invested so heavily in the HD standard aren’t keen to switch to the new standard when it might be rendered obsolete in a few short years.
Do you think 4K is a pointless fad? Let us know your view in the comments.
Via: Reuters
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
