The Olympics in 8K: like being there yourself

Jump to

Comments

The Olympics are in full swing and we have already witnessed many enjoyable moments – at least when contenders are not being disqualified. The Olympics in London is also the first event to be shot and reproduced in 8K resolution; 16 times higher than Full HD. The site Engadget has witnessed the marvel and seen the 8K. It is like being there yourself, they say.

The Olympics in 8K is impressive

Only three cameras with true 8K capabilities exist and they are all located in London right now. The cameras are used to record select sequences from the Olympics. The 8K content is then streamed to large screens set up around London. Here, people who have not secured a seat at the Olympics stadium can experience the Olympics on the big screen and a 22.2 sound system setup. This is all made possible by UK-based BBC and Japanese TV broadcaster NHK.

The Olympics push new technology and is the first event to utilize 8K resolution

FlatpanelsHD is not in London right now but Engadget has taken a look at things and had the opportunity to ask BBC a few questions. In the interesting report, Sharif Sakr says that 8K on the large canvas is a fantastic experience. At times, it leaves the viewer with the impression of sitting in the actual stadium watching the Olympics through a window. Pictures are completely pixilation-free and provide amazing detail and stutter-free motion. It is like being there; made possible by the impressive pictures and the convincing surround sound experience.

However, Sharif also says that the experience is affected significantly by the camera angle. Certain angles and shots break the illusion. For example, partial camera focus did not work very well and only shots where the entire pool (in this particular example) was in focus and visible really worked. This underlines what is also a challenge when filming 3D content; new camera techniques must be utilized to fully take advantage of the new format.

The Olympics in 8K resolution is almost like being there yourself, Engadget says

BBC also made some noteworthy comments. First of all BBC says that “8K is the maximum the human eye can understand (…) it's the end of the resolution story”: a comment that sure to make people smile in the future. BBC also encourages all TV providers to jump directly to 8K resolution instead of 4K. Sure, we are many years away from 8K moving into the mainstream but we hope that BBC can encourage the industry to move faster.

You can read the full report at Engadget here. It is worth a look. FlatpanelsHD has already told you about Sharp's impressive 8K TV and 8K content. You can learn more about it here.