Well, we now know the name of the new display technology we’re all supposedly going to be clamoring for in a year or two’s time: Ultra High-Definition.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has settled on a title for what’s been widely known as 4K: a high-definition display technology for the home promising giant-screen TVs with more than eight million pixels – four times the resolution of today’s HD TVs.
“Ultra HD is the next natural step forward in display technologies, offering consumers an incredibly immersive viewing experience with outstanding new levels of picture quality,” says Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the CEA.
“This new terminology and the recommended attributes will help consumers navigate the marketplace to find the TV that best meets their needs.”
The group’s also defined the core characteristics of Ultra High-Definition TVs, monitors and projectors for the home. It specifies minimum performance attributes including a display resolution of at least eight million active pixels, with at least 3,840 horizontally and at least 2,160 vertically. Displays will have an aspect ratio with width to height of at least 16 x 9.
To use the Ultra HD label, display products will also require at least one digital input capable of carrying and presenting native 4K format video from this input at full 3,840 X 2,160 resolution without relying solely on up-converting.
“TVs remain highly sought after and were the second most frequently mentioned device on consumer wish lists this holiday season, behind only tablets,” says Shapiro.
“We are proud to present Ultra HD for those consumers who want tomorrow’s next-generation of displays and televisions, today.”
Currently, there are only a very few products that meet the Ultra HD criteria, but many more are expected to be unveiled at CES next January.
