New TV format that displays 16 times the quality of HD, Super Hi-Vision, gains approval from UN

High definition 1080p is the standard, with consumer electronics almost inundated with the display format, nearly every display system nowadays, be it computer screens, televisions or even tablet devices, bearing the HD mark. Of course, while electronic manufacturers and consumers alike are reveling in the quality that HD offers, a new format on the horizon has the potential to surpass HD, offering quality that is in fact more than 10 times the resolution of standard HDTVs.

The new high resolution format in question is known as Super Hi-Vision and it offers a resolution of 7,680 by 4,320 pixels or around 32 megapixels. At present, standard HDTVs display in 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, which means that Super Hi-Vision offers a resolution around 16 times greater than HD and because Super Hi-Vision displays in such hi-resolution, the screens that are required to display it are 8K. It should be noted that a recently-made Panasonic-manufactured 8K prototype screen was around 145 inches.

In addition to offering this grand size and resolution, Super Hi-Vision cameras, of which only three exist in the world, shoot at 24, 25, 50, 60 and 120 frames per second. Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK, recently used Super Hi-Vision technology at the London Olympics. The format has already gained the United Nation’s approval, with the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approving the format last week, after a four-month period that allowed broadcasters to file possible objections to the approval of the format.

Japanese broadcaster NHK is one of the first to use Super Hi-Vision and aiming to start using the format for actual broadcasts around 2020. In a statement released by the broadcaster, it was said that Super Hi-Vision would "reproduce the feeling of life and offer a sense of being present," while research firm Ovum commented, "The experience of viewing and listening to live sports and entertainment coverage is dramatically enhanced by Super Hi-Vision, and Ovum envisages it representing the logical next step in TV transmission technology, following on from regular HD. In our view, it is a far more significant development than 3D, which offers a limited range of use-cases."

Commercial use of Super Hi-Vision may still be far off, as at present, manufacturers are only offering 4K televisions and those too are at restrictive prices, with LG models being sold for $22,000. Analysts say that possible commercial models could hit markets around 2025, but even then prices may still be quite high.