In the age where even the 4K resolution is not very much popular, we already are hearing quite a bit about the 8K resolution. In terms of HD resolution, it is a part of the Ultra High Definition resolution (which has 4K and 8K resolutions), where the 8K resolution is something which is in the order of 8000 pixels. That’s huge, because practically it would be a total of 16 Full HD 1080p resolutions, kept across in 4×4 rows.
Image source: documentary.net
The Ultra High Definition resolution was proposed by NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories and defined and approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The 8K UHD is a 7680 × 4320 (16:9) (33.1 megapixels) resolution where you see the pixels arranged in this manner:
- width: 1920 × 4 = 7680
- height: 1080 × 4 = 4320
Getting into further more details, we see 8K UHD in various resolutions based on the aspect ratio and the megapixel count varies based on that.
- 7680 × 4320 (16:9) (33.1 megapixels)
- 7680 x 4800 (16:10) (36.8 megapixels)
- 8192 × 4320 (~17:9) (35.3 megapixels)
- 8192 × 8192 (1:1) (67.1 megapixels)
The 1:1 ratio is usually seen in the resolutions called fulldome where you see such projections for the hemispherical full dome theaters where it isn’t the rectangular but the hemisphere being watched. For the pixel count in fulldome resolution, here is how it gets calculated:
- width: 1920 × 4.266 = 8192
- height: 1080 × 7.58 = 8192
Comparing the 1080p resolution with 8K UHD
With the current investment made by the manufacturers and broadcasters for the HDTV technology, we won’t be seeing the 8K resolution as a reality in every house till at least the year 2020. The reasons for this don’t end with the investment, but also with the cost for the consumers, and the bandwidth requirement to stream such ultra high definition videos.
The current application of the 8K video recording is being done only with the film restoration and mastering, so that the 8K resolution copies of such videos are preserved, and can be appropriately used in the future when the Blu-ray discs and the various applications are able to play the 8K resolution content. With the direct 8K recording, the film producers have an advantage by making it easier to ensure the quality while lowering the resolution to 1080p, which is the current good resolution, and also easy in remastering when there is a need for a better resolution than 1080p in the near future.
Progress on 8K projection devices (as of Dec 2013)
TV
There hasn’t been much done in this segment for now, but Sharp Corporation had showcased a prototype of a 85-inch 8K LED-lit LCD TV which had the 8K resolution with the 7680 x 4320 pixels.
Camera
AH-4800, the only camera with the 8k video recording capability was announced by Astro Design back in April 2013. That was a 33-megapixel lens with the single plate CMOS sensor, and the 2kg heavy camera is capable of recording the videos at the resolution 7680×4320 pixels.
Theaters
The only ones we know are the Definiti 8K theaters, with the fulldome 8K UHD resolution.
