16 TECHFEED 8K
I BELIEVE 8KWILL BE THE ULTIMATE AND FINAL FORMAT AS A 2D VIDEO FORMAT FOR BROADCASTING
appear to be headlining the schedules to date, with some programmes – such as concerts by the Vienna Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras – also transmitted in the stunning 22.2 multichannel sound configuration that is part of the NHK 8K Super Hi-Vision system. In summer 2020, the technology will undergo its most high-profile showcase yet, as NHK delivers 8K broadcasts from the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Takayuki Yamashita, senior research engineer at NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories, expects NHK’s parallel development of 4K services (a dedicated 4K channel also launched last year) and forthcoming deployment at the Olympics will give more broadcasters the confidence to implement 8K. “I believe that showing how 8K programme production and transmission are possible on the same 4K production workflow will accelerate the 8K production for future Olympics and other big sports events,” Yamashita says. “Especially since public viewing is particularly important for boosting large sports events, and 8K broadcasts are expected to lead to new business creation.” BETTER EIGHT THAN NEVER Among the manufacturers who spoke to FEED for this piece, the general consensus between them was that the availability of 8K production equipment will steadily improve in the coming years. “Given the current state of production and post-production equipment for 8K, we believe the market is still developing,” says Takaaki Imoto, senior general manager of overseas sales and marketing for broadcast systems manufacturer, FOR-A. Imoto says that over the next few years companies will introduce many products – including cameras, recorders, editing equipment and peripheral devices, “so broadcasters and production companies can establish an 8K production workflow”. Noting that FOR-A has already released test signal generators, frame synchronisers and upconverters for 8K, Imoto observes that 8K is well-suited to other markets, such as live events, signage, medical, security and surveillance. “In terms of the speed of
8K adoption, it may occur earlier in those markets than in broadcasting.” Sébastien Verlaine is marketing and communications manager at video technology company EVS, whose XT-VIA production server supports 8K and has been used at a number of flagship events. “Should there be more interest from our customers in the near future, we will probably increase the number of channels supporting 8K and upgrade our content management and live tools to support 8K as well,” Verlaine says. Interest in 8K at present still comes mainly from Japan, and Verlaine isn’t sure what the global impact will be of next summer’s broadcasts. “I think the 2020 Olympics will definitely raise awareness, but I’m not sure it will raise interest,” he says. “Many flagship events are still produced in 1080i, and 1080p with HDR a convincing alternative to UHD productions for some customers.” Thomas Bause Mason is director of standards development at SMPTE, which, as mentioned, began to standardise 8K more than a decade ago. He agrees the Olympics is an important milestone, especially in NHK’s home country. He says: “It will not only drive viewership in Japan, but also drive the development of 8K TV sets as NHK has to ensure TV sets are actually available in the market. This is the major goal line for NHK, which has been working on development of this system since the mid-90s. R&D reaches back even further. As for the rest of the world, 8K production is being noticed, but many people question the sense of an 8K TV system and are focusing their attention on making 4K and HDR work.” THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT Consumer interest is difficult to predict at the best of times, but with Samsung expected to bring a 98-inch 8K TV to the market in Europe by this March, and most other major manufacturers likely to launch a commercial 8K TV by the end of the year, availability of domestic product won’t be an issue for long. “Common access to higher-priced 8K TV sets will happen in 2020,” says Mason, who expects “high quality, AI-powered
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