In April, Vizio finally made 4K televisions affordable when they dropped their 43-inch model for $600. But already, newer and better technology is creeping at the doorstep, namely 8K.
According to Forbes’ Maury Brown, on July 17 the New York Yankees versus Seattle Mariners game will be the first Major League Baseball game ever recorded in 8K. Japanese public broadcasting station NHK will set up six 8K cameras throughout Yankee Stadium, with which MLB and NHK executives will be able to watch on 8K monitors in a suite.
The game will not be broadcast, due to the fact that 8K monitors are not even on the market yet, and the game will purely be an experiment for both MLB and NHK. NHK will be looking to test their 8K cameras and see how smoothly the process goes, and the MLB will be looking at possibly investing in the technology, and pushing development forward.
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Samsung and LG have both created 8K prototypes. Samsung’s specifically offers 3D capabilities without glasses, in addition to the clearest 2D display in the world. NHK is spearheading the 8K revolution, and planned on having experimental broadcasts by 2020. What they did not foresee is how fast the technology is catching on and developing, so they are foregoing using 4K in favor of 8K.
YouTube even has an 8K video, as of a few weeks ago, and the video can be viewed at a resolution of 4320p. However, an 8K monitor has not been created yet, so this video is solely a benchmark for when that technology comes around.
Who knows when this technology will hit the shelves, but certainly if the MLB likes what it sees, that date could be very soon.