Japan to broadcast 4K UHDTV in 2014, 8K as early as 2016

If CES was any indication, Ultra-High Definition televisions will soon be all the rage. While increasing pixel counts are always proportionately more awesome, there's a minor snag: 4K UHD content is nearly non-existent. Japan is aiming to wrestle this problem...

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This is good for everyone. The rest of the world can learn from the methods Japan use to broadcast 4k (and maybe 8k) signals, and potentially match or improve on them.

Good on em' I say

And America will follow in the next 2 decades..lol

btw, I was being facetious!

As of today scientists haven't been able to figure out how Egyptians and even older civilizations managed to move humongous construction blocks.

Moving air-lite stuff through an empty space - our ancestors would be laughing

I think I know how to solve the traffic problem...

Caching pre-ordered content on ISP side. The most demanded content is easily predicted, and if cached by your ISP, will be give fast access for their clients, easily covering 90% of the traffic. In this case clients only have to download content themselves when it is very individual.

What's the fascination with more pixels? When people sit down to watch TV they don't sit there and wish their HD was clearer. They want to sit down, watch the latest CSI and not have to fuss with finding it between Hulu, the DVR or some other content provider. They want to sit down and watch a good movie, without having to browse 4 different content providers.

We want a dashboard that shows our favorites when we turn on our TV. New recommended movies right next to the latest episodes of our favorite shows, right next to my kid's favorite shows. When I pick a movie, I want it to start and let the TV figure out if it's on my HTPC, Netflix or wherever. When I start off a kid's show, let the TV figure out if it needs Disney Jr.com or my DVR.

Stop making things bigger and start making them better.

This doesn't make any sense.

I have a 60PA5500 and 1080p is just enough.

It makes perfect sense. There is a direct correlation between screensize/resolution and viewing distance. A Person that buys an 80inch tv to just sit 5 feet from it is an ***** or has very poor eye site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimum_HDTV_viewing_distance

Hmm I don't know why you quoted me nothing you said responds to anything I said but I will comment on the view distance thing because for the most part, its a load of crap.
I have a, 23", 30" 1600p, 42" and 60" and when I jam games with friends we stand in front of it, only a couple feet away. The "correct" distance is further but since 1080p is so low of a resolution for 60 inches of screen, to see things clearly you need to be a little closer for a good snipe, regardless of your eyesight quality.
Let people be the judge, not some meaningless generic mathematical statistic. I do agree that you don't need a jumbo screen if your 4 feet away, but my 42" you need to be 5-6 feet or closer to game on it.

As larger-screen TV-s are becoming more available, their size alone will not provide enough incentive for people to buy.

Arguments like the ones above are pointless. Some people have better vision than others, and there is a theory even that says many people perceive visual reality differently.

The average recommendation is that a 1080P TV makes visual difference from 720P from 2+m distance, starting from 40" and up, while 4K makes a difference from 1080P from 65" and up (same 2+ m distance).

84" TV-s, for instance, show a very granulated picture in 1080P resolution, and 4K makes a huge difference on them. At the same time, a 4K TV that's 50" or less is a complete waste of the technology potential. If you are looking for a different experience, and not satisfied with the current 3D offer, then try movies in 60fps I watched Avatar in 60fps like a new movie, quite awesome.

"but can it play crysis" will become relevant again at these resolutions.

Yay, something better than current 576p broadcasts!

Until you watch an 8k video, you really have no business saying "who needs it". When mixed with oleds I imagine the picture to look amazing, beautiful, real. And then put it in 3D... omg I want one.

Insert 1000 PPI phone screens here.

I agree, getting reaaal sick of standard definition broadcasts.

There isn't much in the way of 1080 broadcasts here in Australia in 2013. Mostly 576. 4K (let alone 8K) isn't even worth thinking about for a long long time for consumer use.

What I thought:
1920 x 1080 = 1K
3840 x 2160 = 2K
7680 x 4320 = 4K

What you're telling me:
1920 x 1080 = 2K
3840 x 2160 = 4K
7860 x 4320 = 8K

I always thought it was about the horizontal lines or resolution. That's why everyone made such a big deal a few years back about 1080, 720, 480... But at least I get a free upgrade to 2K HD now =)

What of tech reporters saying that you need really large screens to appreciate this much detail, fact or fiction?