IBC 2012: The prospect of viewers watching content four times the resolution of HD in their homes is edging closer to reality, with manufacturers ramping up efforts to get 4K content onto domestic screens.

With Sony’s F65 unveiled last year, and 4K cameras from Panasonic, JVC and Canon showcased at NAB, one of the themes of Amsterdam’s IBC trade show was workflow, display and delivery of high-resolution content.

Sony Europe Professional Solutions head of AV media Olivier Bovis said: “We’re less than six months away from being able to deliver 4K to the home.

“We have the acquisition tool, the codec and the display, and with [satellite operator] Astra’s pipeline to deliver 4K, all we need is someone to make the set-top box.”

Sony announced that it had expanded its SRMaster alliance for development of 4K content workflows, with Autodesk’s Smoke, Flame and Lustre now supporting the format.

Sony also revealed it is working with satellite operator SES on 4K satellite delivery.

Sony’s stand featured a live 4K screening, with content uplinked from SES headquarters via Astra’s satellite system.

The footage was H.264 encoded at 50Mbps and shown on a Sony Bravia 4K display.

JVC Professional Europe general manager John Kelly said display technology was the most obvious issue affecting 4K’s development “because there are few affordable means of viewing the footage”.

JVC had a prototype of a 32-inch 4K monitor on display, but the release of the panel was “not imminent”, Kelly said.

Meanwhile, Canon showed live 4K output from its C500 camera.

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