At IFA 2014 in Berlin, LG unveiled its latest effort in Ultra High Definition television, a 98-inch 8K TV (7680 x 4320 pixels) boasting 16 times the resolution of a normal 1080p HD television and four times that of the latest 4K sets that few people own yet.
To be clear, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen an 8K TV in action. Digital Trends covered Sharp’s 85-inch 8K prototype at CES 2012, and Panasonic made a huge splash with its 145-inch 8K plasma TV at IFA 2012. Since then,we’ve seen a few more prototypes; Samsung, for instance showed a 98-inch 8K TV at CES 2014 and may well show it again here at IFA 2014. What makes LG’s foray into 8K so notable, however, is that it has demonstrated a commitment to helping push the industry to hasten innovation. You can be sure that when LG senses the market is approaching readiness for 8K, it will start turning out super-premium models for affluent early adopters.
The thing is, the market is not ready for 8K television, and neither is the film or broadcast industry — 8K is still years away. It was just a few days ago that Japan, a country which has always been at the forefront of Ultra high-resolution TV technology, confirmed its timetable for 4K broadcast deployment. According to Advanced Television, Japan will begin 4K satellite broadcast tests in earnest in 2016, right around the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. By 2018, 6 broadcasters in total are expected to be broadcasting a dedicated 4K channel.
