Display Supply Chain Consultants and Insight Media has announced the launch of a new report titled Outlook on 8K TV, covering the latest developments in the next stage of TV technology. The report covers production equipment, distribution systems, and connectivity.
According to the report, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be a major driver in the development of 8K infrastructure, with Japanese broadcaster NHK leading efforts to produce and broadcast Olympic programming to homes. The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang will mark at least the sixth major world event since 2012 where NHK has demonstrated 8K capture and display. Meanwhile, cameras from Hitachi, Astrodesign, Ikegami, Sharp and Sony address the many challenges in capturing 8K video. The report describes features of these cameras and suggested pricing.
The transmission parameters for satellite broadcast of 8K content are detailed, as satellite companies take the lead in broadcasting, addressing the challenges of handling the massive bandwidth required to bring this content to the home. The report also looks at the activities the HDMI Forum and other connectivity solutions are taking to address the increased bandwidth required for 8K. The display industry plans for massive expansion of 10.5G capacity, which will enable efficient production of 65″ and 75″ display panels for both LCD and OLED TV. Capacity of 10G-and-above substrates for displays is expected to increase from 8 million m² in 2017 to at least 75 million m² in 2022.
Total manufacturing costs for 8K 65″ LCD panels are estimated at $1,000 per panel currently and are expected to be reduced to $595 by 2021. Costs for OLED panels are estimated at $1,830 today and the report includes cost estimates in 2021. Sales of 8K flat-panel TVs are expected to increase from 0.1 million in 2018 to 5.8 million in 2022, with China leading the way representing more than 60% of the total market during this period. 8K TVs are expected to include advanced features like HDR, wide colour gamut and advanced upscaling. Native 8K content will be limited so upscaling will be a differentiating feature.
