Panasonic’s 145-inch 8K PDP eyes-on (video)

Panasonic's 145inch 8K PDP eyeson

Tucked away into a dark corner of Panasonic's booth is the clear highlight of the outfit's IFA 2012 showcase: a 145-inch 8K plasma display panel. Developed in partnership with Japan's NHK, the prototype is merely a proof of concept for the broadcaster's planned 2020 launch of Super Hi Vision TV. In person, the flat screen is truly awe-inspiring, offering such richness of detail that even up-close we weren't able to discern any pixels, while colors appeared balanced and natural. Overall, the image quality -- 16 times that of regular full HD -- nearly apes the real-world images it replicates. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait sometime before this tech trickles down to the mass market level. In the meantime, content yourself with a brief video demo after the break.

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Continue reading Panasonic's 145-inch 8K PDP eyes-on (video)

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Panasonic's 145-inch 8K PDP eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ITU approves NHK’s Super Hi-Vision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly

ITU approves NHK's Super HiVision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly

We'd heard that the International Telecommunication Union was close to approving Super Hi-Vision as an Ultra High Definition TV standard, and the UN agency hasn't waited long to confirm the rumors. The recommendation to use NHK's 7,680 x 4,320 format has gone unopposed and should define the parameters for incredibly detailed 8K video worldwide. This shouldn't lead anyone to return that 4K TV just yet -- once again, it's important to remember that NHK still won't start any kind of wider testing until 2020. That's also assuming that the first 8K sets are down to Earth instead of the incredibly expensive 145-inch variety.

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ITU approves NHK's Super Hi-Vision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 05:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikkei: ITU near recommending NHK’s Super Hi-Vision as official TV standard

NHK Super Hi-Vision at Olympics

We've seen NHK preparing its Super Hi-Vision 8K video since time immemorial. Wouldn't it be nice if the TV broadcast technology was more than just a perpetual research project? If sources for Japan's Nikkei aren't dreaming, the International Telecommunication Union is now "likely" to declare the format an official standard for broadcasters and TV makers. Should it go ahead, the UN telecom body would ask the world to rely on Super Hi-Vision as an eventual successor to HDTV and reduce the balkanization of TV standards that we've seen in the past. Neither the ITU nor NHK is known to have commented on the claim so far, but NHK isn't exactly in a rush to get a seal of approval from anyone -- widescale test broadcasts aren't coming until 2020, and production TVs themselves are only just entering a 4K universe.

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Nikkei: ITU near recommending NHK's Super Hi-Vision as official TV standard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BBC shows off 33-megapixel Super Hi-Vision Olympic footage, we ask: why?

BBC shows off 33megapixel Super HiVision Olympic footage, we ask why

The first live Super Hi-Vision broadcast for public consumption was of the Olympic opening ceremony in London last week. We didn't get to see that premiere, or the second or third screenings either -- but the fourth? Oh yes. We grabbed a seat right up front of a small theater inside BBC Broadcasting House, watched a live 33-megapixel feed from the Aquatics Center and absorbed some very fond memories in the process. At the same time, a question hung over the footage like a watermark: why bother? The world is barely getting to grips with the notion of 4K, which already solves pixelation at regular viewing distances, so why did the BBC and Japanese broadcaster NHK go to the expense of sending a dedicated SHV video truck, a SHV audio truck rigged for 22.2 channel sound, and the world's only three 8K Ultra HDTV cameras to London? Fortunately, we caught up with someone in charge who was able to respond to that question. Read on for what they said, plus a slightly fuller sense of what the footage was like to watch.

Continue reading BBC shows off 33-megapixel Super Hi-Vision Olympic footage, we ask: why?

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BBC shows off 33-megapixel Super Hi-Vision Olympic footage, we ask: why? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK 2012 Olympics Super Hi-Vision tickets are available, grab a seat for some Ultra HDTV

If you're a UK resident, missed out a ticket to the London 2012 Olympics and find the extensive home and mobile coverage to be lacking in pixels have no fear -- free tickets are available for Super Hi-Vision screenings at three locations. While certain days and times are already fully booked, you can still get one of the first public glimpses of NHK's 8K Ultra HDTV technology at the BBC Radio Theatre, BBC Scotland (Glasgow) and the National Media Museum in Bradford (other viewing locations are in Japan and Washington D.C.) Before the games get started, the Radio Theater is screening a London Prepares promo from July 23rd to the 28th. During the games (July 28th - August 12th) all will have highlights of the previous day's action from the Aquatic Centre, Olympic Stadium, Velodrome, and Basketball Arena plus clips of the Opening Ceremony. The lone live feed is scheduled for Sunday July 29th, from the Aquatics Centre. Sure, you could be paying a fortune for scalped passes to be in the house when Usain Bolt, Ryan Lochte or Michael Phelps are doing their thing, or you could be enjoying 33MP video and 22.2 channel surround sound in one of the custom setups TechRadar previewed in March. Your choice.

UK 2012 Olympics Super Hi-Vision tickets are available, grab a seat for some Ultra HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jun 2012 11:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHK lays out Olympic broadcast plans, Super Hi-Vision test viewing locations in Japan

NHK lays out Olympic broadcast plans, Super HiVision test viewing locations in Japan

We've already run down Olympic broadcast plans in the US and UK, and now Japanese broadcaster NHK has unveiled some information. Similar to the others there is not only the TV production including data about ongoing competition, but also an online component complete with live video access on mobile devices, but also support for the acTVila video on-demand portal. The other notable information is that it's locked down locations and details for those trial Super Hi-Vision broadcasts, listing four spots where people can get their eyes on some sweet 8K UHDTV action. While most of them will be displayed by projectors, including a 520-inch screen in Shibuya, while Akihabara's Studio Park will feature a 360-inch LCD. The details for UK and US are a bit more vague, but if we have to track where in Washington D.C. NBC is letting the 33MP resolution video and 22.2ch sound out for a trial just by its scent, then that's what we'll have to do.

NHK lays out Olympic broadcast plans, Super Hi-Vision test viewing locations in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jun 2012 04:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ITU lays out recommendations on 3DTV, Ultra High Definition TV standards (video)

ITU lays out recommendations on 3DTV, Ultra High Definition TV standards video

The ITU has stayed busy, as we mentioned earlier it met to hammer out standards for UHDTV (Ultra High Definition TV), and also recently announced a new set of recommendations for 3DTV. On the 3D front it focused on standardization for delivering video in both 720 and 1080 line formats, digital interfaces used for studio production and methods to evaluate quality based on picture quality, depth and comfort levels. As far as UHDTV which is still quite a bit further off, the group has decided the term will cover both 4K and 8K (aka Super Hi-Vision) resolution video, as multiples of the existing 1080p standard. That means Quad Full HD (QFHD, or 3840x2160 resolution) and Digital Cinema 4K resolution (4096x2160) both fall under the umbrella of 4K (check the aspect ratios to see where the "missing" pixels went, or have a listen to this week's podcast. After the break we've got a video with Study Group Chairman Christoph Dosch discussing the future possibilities of both 3DTV and UHDTV, as well as press releases with a few extra details.

Continue reading ITU lays out recommendations on 3DTV, Ultra High Definition TV standards (video)

ITU lays out recommendations on 3DTV, Ultra High Definition TV standards (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ITU meets to define 4K and 8K UHDTV parameters

ITU meets to define 4K and 8K UHDTV parameters

This month NHK has been previewing a slew of Super Hi-Vision equipment, but there's still much work to be done to make high res broadcasts a reality worldwide. There's where the ITU steps in, and as it did for HDTV back in the 90s it's been meeting to decide just what 4K and 8K Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV) broadcasts are and how they will work. There's no word on minimum pixel counts for the standards -- we expect that quad-HD vs. 4K battle to rage on, remember these are the people who "defined" 4G -- but they're establishing color range, frame rate, and whether the broadcasts will go over unused satellite bandwidth or regular antenna frequencies. If you're somehow confused by the 33MP video streams that are coming our way... some day, check out a video featuring European Broadcast Union Deputy Director of Technology and Development David Wood.

Continue reading ITU meets to define 4K and 8K UHDTV parameters

ITU meets to define 4K and 8K UHDTV parameters originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHK and JVC develop 120fps Super Hi-Vision projector

NHK and JVC develop 120fps Super Hi-Vision projector

If your cine-cave is already decked out with the Super Hi-Vision display, the Super Hi-Vision camera, and the Super Hi-Vision-supping antenna, we guess you just need the 120fps Super Hi-Vision projector to complete the set? Guess what? Working with JVC, NHK has developed just that. It might not be much to look at, but that hunk of tech up there comes with the extra frame rate that also makes it play fast nice with the sensor technology NHK was kind enough to develop first. The projector will be giving its first public demos on May 24th , and we hope that 7680 x 4320 resolution will make all those hi-res skate-slams come out a charm.

Continue reading NHK and JVC develop 120fps Super Hi-Vision projector

NHK and JVC develop 120fps Super Hi-Vision projector originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHK makes first successful Super Hi-Vision OTA broadcast, man cave owners giggle with glee

NHK makes first successful Super Hi-Vision OTA broadcast, man cave owners giggle with gleeFresh off from successfully shrinking its Super Hi-Vision camera, Japan's NHK is sticking another feather in its cap -- the first over-the-air broadcast of its super-duper high-resolution technology. The broadcaster says it recently managed to send a compressed Super Hi-Vision signal from the roof of its Science and Technology Research Laboratories in Tokyo to a distance about 4.2 kilometers away with no issues. NHK used two UHF channels during the experiment. To optimize and boost transmission capacity, NHK leveraged technologies such as orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). Low-density parity check coding was also used for error correction. NHK has been constantly experimenting with its Super Hi-Vision high-resolution (7,680 x 4,320) video format, including a UK-to-Japan broadcast via a 24Gb/s internet connection in 2010. Folks who happen to be in Japan from May 24th to 27th can check the tech at the NHK labs' open house in Tokyo's Setagaya ward.

NHK makes first successful Super Hi-Vision OTA broadcast, man cave owners giggle with glee originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 07:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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