8K Association Outlines Performance Specifications
8K Association Outlines Performance Specifications
By Mike Wheatley - 29 August 2019

The 8K Association is taking a major step forward towards its goal of growing the 8K ecosystem with the release of key performance attributes it believes will help consumers to get the most out of their new TVs. 

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8K resolution is a relatively new display technology that delivers four-times as many pixels as 4K Ultra HD resolution, which proponents say results in more realistic, cleaner and crisper images. 

The 8K Association’s new performance attributes cover a wide range of specifications, including parameters for 8K input such as bit depth, chroma sub-sampling and frame rate. They also cover display performance characteristics such as black levels, colour gamut, peak brightness, resolution and white point; and various interface and media formats. The technical specifications are based on the HDMI 2.1 and High Efficiency Video Coding codecs, and specify a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels, frame rates of 24p, 30p and 60p frames per second, and display luminance exceeding 600 nits. 

Other specs published by the Association include recommended performance levels for colour and high dynamic range. 

The next step for the 8K Association is to develop a compliance test so that 8K televisions which meet the criteria can be certified via an official logo, which will help consumers to identify them. 

“Defining the key attributes for an 8K TV specification demonstrates the 8KA’s focus to quickly define a critical step in the growth of next-generation video technology,” 8K Association Executive Director Chris Chinnock said in a statement. “To reach this milestone is a great testament to the cooperative spirit the members of the 8K Association enjoy along with our shared enthusiasm for the 8K ecosystem expansion.”

The 8K Association currently boasts 16 members, including TV manufacturers such as Hisense, Panasonic, Samsung and TCL, and technology providers such as Intel and Tencent.