4K Technology
Fine Cut Spring 2014
A new standard for experiencing film and TV?
F
Marlon Gomez
our thousand pixels across a television screen in your living room set could be the next move in the evolution of TV and film viewership. This ridiculous number of pixels on a TV takes realism to a whole new level and can make people feel as if they are at the scene capturing every movement as it happens. As industry giants like Sony, LG and Samsung try to make 4K technology available for consumers to watch the biggest events of the year and TV shows, time, costs and replacement of current infrastructures are the roadblocks standing in the way of this technology from becoming a reality. Stewart Aziz from the Toronto branch of Claremont Canada said the costs are a barrier to early adoption of 4K. It wasn’t too long ago when people couldn’t imagine buying high definition flat screens because of how expensive they were. The same story is playing out now with 4K televisions. Sony’s 4K TV series known as the “X Reality Pro” is scheduled to launch this spring. At the time of launch the X Reality pro was more than $4000. LG offered two choices of Ultra High Definition 4K TVs (UHD TV) to consumers, including an 85-inch UHD TV with a price tag of about $20,000 at the time of launch. These prices may appear a bit high for an average consumer looking to buy a television. So why on earth would someone spend thousands of dollars on a 4K TV? Brent de Waal, the Regional Manager of Product Training for Sony Canada said, “In terms of 4K, that immersion and that realism is really what is exciting about this technology.” For those who already own a High Definition TV and can’t imagine the image getting any clearer when watching favourite teams battle it out, De Waal said, “So when you’re watching sports on a 4K Sony, it’s easier to read the back of the sweaters and the jerseys on the players. It’s easier to see the faces of the people in the crowd. And it doesn’t have an artificial sharpness to it, it’s just easier to look at.” With Sony already in the midst of launching its new line-up of 4K TVs it may
be just a matter of time before prices begin to drop. The company unveiled the upcoming models, the X 900 A and the X 900 B at the Consumer Electronics show early this year. There is not a lot of true 4K content available to watch, even if a consumer purchases these premium products. What to watch and what network to watch it on is still a question awaiting answer. While it is possible to upscale resolution from a lower format to 4K, no network in Canada offers content in this higher resolution. There appears to be reluctance to invest in the equipment unless major cable TV providers like Bell and Rogers see enough demand for 4K content. According to Tom Bradbury, a former senior director of Production Engineering at CTV, many broadcasters in Canada are not ready to make the switch over to 4K yet. In fact, Bradbury said many haven’t even had the chance to complete the switch to High Definition. He said, “There certainly would be a few broadcasters that are experimenting with 4K. But from the broadcast point of view the big question is going to be the expense of it.” Investing in 4K for networks has its own challenges. In the case of 4K, Bradbury said it was expensive due to the larger data and bandwidth required to transmit the signal to homes. Upgrading the current infrastructure was not just a matter of buying 4K TVs and cameras, as networks would also need to purchase additional equipment to be able to broadcast. “So you need equipment that can handle that, right from the camera through the transmission chain you’d find in a broadcast place.” In the meantime, 4K resolution may be able to succeed on the Internet as Netflix and YouTube announced recently that they have begun streaming 4K content. Netflix in particular worked with UHD sets from Sony, LG, Samsung and Vizio. All the UHD TVs from these makers include a Netflix app and chip that decodes signals, which then allows Netflix to compress the data by over 100 times and stream it through the internet. De Waal believes this is where most of the industry seems to be headed. He said, “That’s been the preference for consumers. It’s quite clear that they want to have On Demand. They don’t want to worry that the store doesn’t have the disc. They
want to decide at the last minute that they want to watch something.” “So I think the streaming services are going to be one of the primary delivery methods.” De Waal’s predictions tie in with Netflix’s CPO Neil Hunt who in an interview with the Globe and Mail said, “People are recognizing that disc formats are yesterday’s solution.” However, 4K streaming over the Internet may not be just around the corner. Once again, the factors of time and cost come into play. In Canada 4K streaming is not yet feasible. De Waal said a movie in 4K format takes about six to eight Gigabytes of data. While Internet packages with data downloads of 200 GB and over are starting to launch, most people still have an average of 80 to 100 GB a month. According to Courtesy of Canon Canada
De Wa a l , the infrastructure is definitely there, but it may take some time for consumers to adjust. So, as to when 4K’s realism will become the standard for TV and film viewership, the answer is possibly in the near future, provided the roadblocks are worked out. Aziz said he believes “the issue will be time, whether it’s in two or ten years.” His prediction is also echoed by Bradbury who said “the time will come, it will work out. Today is it practical and is it realistic? Not today. But within three years or five years that could very well be.” With that in mind, it’s safe to say 4K is not exactly a bust but there remains lots of work to be done.
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