You probably know or have heard about the tech term 4K, an ultra-high definition screen resolution, and were amazed by it when watching TV or an online video. Well, the new 8K resolution is even more powerful and impressive; the higher quality of details provides a more realistic picture.
In case you haven’t heard much about 8K, it’s time to keep up with the upcoming 8K Ultra HD technology and how it is changing video quality for the better. The term 8K, similarly to 4K, is based on the number of pixels we can see on a screen, in other words, it means the resolution.
The 8K resolution brings 7680 horizontal pixels and 4320 vertical pixels, meaning more precise and defined images. To put it in perspective, let’s imagine a 4K TV (3840 x 2160 pixels), a significant upgrade on a regular Full HD TV (1920 x 1080 pixels) with four times more pixels. Meanwhile, as you can see, an 8K TV has a resolution four times greater than that! Incredible isn’t it?!
Today, 4K is still the standard resolution on most devices, but we know that it is hard to stay in the way of progress; nearly every major streaming service, video production, and social media company already uses 8K footage resolution. And while it is true that much of this content isn’t available yet to the public, we are confident that 8K will be the standard resolution in the next few years and that soon enough, filmmakers and video professionals will look at 8K as a must-have component in film, television, and gaming.
When that happens, who knows what we will be discussing, maybe 16K resolutions? Can you imagine?
If we look back at pre-4 K times, we were all overwhelmed with the idea of large file sizes that this new technology would bring. But as with everything in history, technology advanced through innovation and we’ve quickly learned how to love 4K.
The 8K technology is no different. As production companies continue to invest hard in innovation, let’s look on what you can expect from manufacturers and video producers in the coming years:
(Yes, they are all talking about how 8K will impact our lives)
- 8K Movies and TV Shows
Can you imagine watching your favorite binge-worthy series in 8k? If you can’t picture it, imagine having four times more details on your image. You’ll almost feel like you are part of that movie, or the movie is happening in your living room! - 8K Broadcasts
Just get the popcorn ready because live 8K broadcasting is here! In fact, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics had transmissions in 8K resolution in a never-seen-before quality. Wow! - 8k Games
Well, for those enthusiastic and passionate gamers, I will tell you what a great time it is to be playing! Video game companies are releasing the most immersive game experiences. The PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X already pride themselves on supporting up to 8K resolutions. That means the potential to explore life-like scenarios in the gaming world! - DIY 8K Videos
What about creating videos with your own 8K camera? Where you have the freedom to crop and zoom your footage without losing almost any detail. We are talking about a vast range of flexibility in framing shots and even post-production work and visual effects.
Well, but with all that said, if you are not part of this public yet, let me tell you the good news: 8K is here, and not just in entertainment! The Executive Director of the Japanese NHK channel, a pioneer in the 8K technology, said that this new technology has promising potential in the medical and security fields worldwide as well.
Great. So, what else do I need to have the 8K experience at home or the office?
The largest streaming services, such as YouTube and Vimeo, are already streaming some 8K videos with extremely sharp images over high-speed network connections. So, with 8K soon becoming the new norm, you will need an 8K Screen (for example, a TV, laptop, phone, tablet) plus a high-speed internet connection.
The 8K technology is four times the standard number of pixels in its raw format, and while experts say that automatic compression techniques help to reduce the strain, they only go so far. Not only is internet speed a significant consideration, but the bandwidth cap limits (data transfer) set by your service provider, usually monthly, are another important factor.
In Australia, the national broadband network (NBN), as mentioned in a previous post about 5G vs NBN (link here), has been replacing old wires with optical fiber all over the country. One of Australia’s largest communication and infrastructure projects is delivering more reliable, high-capacity internet to Aussie homes. Still, there is little space to keep up with the always-increasing demand for faster internet. And it will most likely not be able to support internet speeds above 100Mbps, implying that it’s unlikely to have services that support 8K streaming anytime soon.
In other words, Australia has spent billions of dollars to roll out the NBN, and soon won’t be enough. But there is some good news: Faster internet is available!
We can genuinely say that Move Up is the future of the internet. We can achieve internet speeds of up to 1,000Mbps today! Ten times faster and more reliable than a high-end NBN plan. In addition, it provides unlimited data (Yes, unlimited data!), and the setup and installation are cheaper and considerably more straightforward than the NBN.
We are excited to see how the 8K world will evolve within the next few months and years, and you should be too! But at the end of the day, we can be sure of one thing: better internet speeds, better everything, right?
Let us know your thoughts on 8K resolutions!
Connect with us on social media.