The Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has launched an initiative to develop a standard for Ultra HDTV as demonstrated by Japanese broadcaster NHK at last year's IBC.
The Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has launched an initiative to develop a standard for Ultra HDTV as demonstrated by Japanese broadcaster NHK at last year's IBC.

An Ultra High Definition TV could be huge, spanning a viewer's wall, and feature a flexible magazine-type display.

It would have the capacity to show several media at once, such as the internet and video content. NHK Broadcasting senior research engineer Kohji Mitani said: 'We want to create a higher sensation of reality'.

Ultra HDTV as demonstrated has a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels, while HDTV is 1,920 x 1,080. The screen aspect ratio is the same
at 16:9.

The technology is currently being developed with a frame frequency of 59.94 Hz progressive which is similar to the current HD standard. Mitani said NHK wants to create a technology that can be used within the current HD production environment.

Mitani invited the BBC to collaborate on the development during the HDTV is Just the Beginning session at IBC.

BBC head of research and development and chair of the session Huw Williams said: 'We have begun discussions with NHK regarding Ultra HD and look forward to progressing the technology.'

Mitani argued that increased take up of fibre-to-the-home, which offers a huge increase in bandwidth compared with cable, would help make the limited broadcast of Ultra HD possible within five years.

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