At the annual Ceatec show in Japan, Sharp has showcased a 27-inch monitor with no less than 7680x4320 pixels - also known as 8K Ultra HD. It can even reproduce 8K resolution at 120 frames per second plus HDR, according to PC Watch.
The future? 8K, 120Hz & HDR
Displays of the future will be capable of reproducing more picture detail than our eyes can discern from a normal viewing distance. Sharp believes that these displays will make 2D video appear almost 3-dimensional so the company brought its latest prototype to the Ceatec show.
The display takes home several records. Sharp has managed to squeeze 7680x4320 pixels into a 27” panel. The extreme resolution is also referred to as ‘8K Ultra HD’ and is made up of more than 33 million pixels that can each be individually controlled. 8K has 4 times as many pixels as 4K and 16 times as many as Full HD.
To make 8K possible Sharp, who was recently acquired by Foxconn, is using an IPS LCD panel with IGZO backplane technology. IGZO refers to the small grid of transistors that controls each pixel. IGZO has much higher electron mobility than other types of transistor backplanes so it can address more pixels, and faster.
But that is not all. 8K resolution is combined with 120 frames per second and HDR (High Dynamic Range). 100 or 120fps is also often referred to as HFR (High Frame Rate). A typical PC monitor runs at 60 Hz but most monitors designed for gaming can go to 120Hz or beyond.
As the video chain moves to first 4K and later 8K, the need for HFR will increase. A too low frame rate will visibly reduce (motion) resolution once the video starts moving.
Will require a new interface standard
Depending on how Sharp is driving the monitor and at what color depth, it could require a video signal of up to 120 Gigabit per second.
Of course, this is not possible today so Sharp is using several DisplayPort cables to deliver the video signal. This highlights some of the challenges in moving beyond 4K, which is becoming the norm today. To make 8K and HFR possible we need new cable interface standards.
Sharp did not say when it plans to make the monitor available, or if at all.
The first TVs with 8K resolution are already available on the market. We first saw Sharp’s 8K TV in 2011. Back then, we called it jaw-droppingly impressive.
- Source: PC Watch via Anandtech
