33-megapixel broadcast by 2015

Philip Wong | Jan 15, 2008

Even before full-HD reaches mainstream, the Japanese government is already embarking on an ambitious joint project to develop the next-gen TV system. Dubbed Super Hi-Vision or 8K, this new visual technology boasts 7,680 x 4,320-pixel or 33-megapixel photo clarity. That's 16 times the resolution of 1080p panels and a 4 fold enhancement over the latest commercial 4K displays. The latter, in fact, is barely making its presence felt in Asian cineplexes with the recent Spiderman 3 being one of the first 4K movie releases.

The Japan communication ministry is expected to inject 300 million yen (US$2.7 million) into research and development, leading up to a scheduled 8K broadcast as early as 2015. But the million dollar question here is whether there's a need for such resolution on our average 40 to 50-inch TV? Perhaps everyone will own a 100-inch mammoth in their living room by then?

Format	Resolution	Pixel count	Pixel count
Standard definition	720 x 480	345,600	0.3
High definition	1,280 x 720	921,600	0.9
Full high definition	1,920 x 1,080	2,073,600	2.1
4K	4,096 x 2,160	8,847,360	8.8
8K / Super Hi-Vision	7,680 x 4,320	33,177,600	33.2