Despite still disappointing sales figures for [abc]Ultra HD[/abc] [abc]8K[/abc] televisions, the market around the format (also known as Super Hi-Vision) is reportedly currently undergoing rapid and solid expansion.
8K screens: technological advances and lower manufacturing costs
This is what the consulting firm SAC Insight reveals, citing several factors to justify this state of affairs, starting with advances in display technologies. “Ongoing innovations in panel manufacturing, notably [abc]Oled[/abc], Micro [abc]LED[/abc] and QD [abc]LCD[/abc] technologies, are improving color accuracy, brightness and contrast, while gradually reducing the manufacturing costs of very large screens,” explains the firm’s study.
AI upscaling to make up for the lack of content
Prices are set to fall, therefore, and advances in AI are also playing a role in the transition from 4K to 8K: “To bridge the gap between existing content libraries and 8K hardware capabilities, manufacturers are massively integrating advanced AI algorithms. These processors refine and upscale 4K and lower-resolution content to adapt it to 8K screens, without significant visual artifacts.”
The professional sector and video games as growth drivers
Moreover, while the consumer sector is still lagging behind, professionals are already widely adopting 8K. “Super Hi-Vision is seeing rapid adoption in professional sectors,” explains SAC Insight. “High-precision medical imaging, for example endoscopy and remote surgery, digital signage, scientific visualization and aeronautical simulation rely heavily on the exceptional level of detail offered by 8K.”
Another sector driving 8K growth is video games, especially virtual reality, which requires very high resolution for a smoother, more immersive rendering. But there are still challenges to overcome, the firm acknowledges, first and foremost price: “The high manufacturing costs and low production yields of large-format screens severely limit their adoption by the general public.”
Streaming and Internet bandwidth: major obstacles to overcome
Not to mention the lack of 8K content. “The notable absence of native 8K content on major [abc]streaming[/abc] platforms reduces the immediate appeal of this technology for consumers,” SAC Insight continues. And it adds: “Infrastructure requirements are also considerable. Super Hi-Vision requires enormous storage capacities as well as broadband Internet networks that many residential areas still do not yet have.”
In short, hope is there, but patience is still required.