Dec. 6, 2022 - In much the same way many integrators had approached 4K, 8K is being treated in a similar manner. With game consoles seemingly the only tangible sources for anything 8K-related thus far, plus their nearly singular reliance on direct connection (and ideally with an Active Optical Cable at that), there isn’t much to suggest installation infrastructure should be prepared for 8K pathways. But don’t allow lack of content to bleed into lack of foresight.
For far more than a decade, content acquisition in Hollywood has been at 5K & 6K, elevating in the past half dozen years to 8K and even higher. Initially, it provided non-animated special effects more pixels, so guy wires, harnesses plus other movie magic trickery could be “digitally erased” with no compromise to image fidelity. Now, remastering is doing for movies what it did decades back for musical catalogs - giving the public not a different version of their favorites, rather an unchanged better version.
In Hollywood workflows, 8K masters will eventually lead today’s 4K hits (Top Gun: Maverick comes to mind) into being re-released in a very near-future tomorrow in their original 8K splendor to even an even more-amazed audience. Consider a platform like Kaleidescape. While I have no information indicating anything of this sort may be forthcoming, what is to prevent them from developing an 8K player for 8K titles they secure for exclusive use in their store? It’s likely not even a whole-step away, given their relationship with the content creation community. Previously, I have written how Dolby’s ambitions parallel future specifications already established. Dolby doesn’t drag Hollywood around by the collar, but almost. Their roadmap includes 12K, 120fps, uncompressed color, and 10,000 nits.
For many of us here at AVPro Edge, our association with the Imaging Science Foundation is approaching nearly three decades and it is no stretch to say we grew up in the video business while growing the high end video business.
Murideo 8K signal generation and analyzation test equipment is being used around the globe by technology leaders such as Dolby Laboratories, is ever-present in the product development departments of TV manufacturers, and dedicated calibrators rely on our gear daily. The Fox & Hound has proven to be an invaluable trouble-shooting aid for the residential and commercial integration communities, as the newest 8K version routinely pays for itself in labor savings.
The AVPro Edge 8K Product Line-Up
AVPro Edge product development did not remain static while much of the industry stared 8K in the face wondering what to do next. 8K displays from major manufacturers have in place the processing power to actually improve facets of 4K signals (four times as many pixels to smooth diagonal transitions) but aside from professional cameras, 8K was essentially absent from the landscape. Still, we pressed forward.
Our class-leading 8K HDMI matrix switchers, 8K HDMI distribution amplifier, 8K downscaler, and upcoming 8K HDMI fiber optic extension kit represent important landmarks not only for AVPro Edge, but the industry at large. It is our declaration that 8K ain’t going away.
The focus AVPro Edge has placed on 8K leading up to 2022 has enabled our 8K products to become a mainstay for us throughout the year, and though 8K may still be in its infancy, the maturity in AVPro Edge’s 8K engineering is on display daily around the world.
By Michael Hamilton
