The "digital ink" was barely dry on my last piece concerning screen size, when I received a reader comment that "more is better." Well, more is on the way, with various parties paving the way for higher pixel densities. JVC has just announced the world’s first full-coverage, high-resolution, 8K Super Hi-Vision projector, and is hoping that this new product will contribute to the commercialization of the ultra-high resolution Super Hi-Vision (SHV) digital video format currently under development by NHK.

The projector features a resolution of 35 megapixels, 10,000 lumens output and 5,500:1 contrast-ratio. It uses a trio of D-ILA panels, each with a resolution of 8,192 x 4,320. The previous generation of this projector was a 4-panel system using two green panels, so this is clearly a cost improvement. Each SHV image is 7,680 x 4,320 (16:9) pixels, at 60 fps progressive scan, complying with ITU-R BT.1769 and SMPTE 2036. Why JVC fabricates the panels with that many extra pixels is unknown.

Super Hi-Vision requires about 40 times more data than a standard high-definition image (16x a FHD image), and JVC’s new projector uses the 36-bit HDMI deep color specification to deliver data at a rate of 76 gigabits per second over 16 coaxial cables. As an alternative to HDMI, JVC has also developed an optical transmission interface employing four optical fibers. The 8K projector would have limited application without an appropriate source, so hot on the heels of last month’s NAB demo of JVC’s new KY-F4000 camera (4K resolution) comes an 8K version (one can only imagine that this was not unveiled at NAB due to readiness issues).

These potential developments would mean that new standards are needed for coding and presenting the video. The MPEG and DCI standards currently support resolutions up to and including 4K, so new definitions are needed for scanning formats. Also, because of the very high bitrates, a new form of compression is envisioned at a higher compression ratio, and one may be on the way.

At the 88th meeting of the MPEG/ISO standards group in Maui last month, attendees concluded that, "video bitrates will go up faster than the network infrastructure will be able to carry economically, both for wireless and wired networks." The group has therefore voted to work on a new, better form of compression to replace MPEG-4 AVC. The new format is entitled "High Performance Video Coding" (HVC), and to start a rigorous assessment about its feasibility, a Call for Evidence has been issued, with responses to be evaluated at the 89th MPEG meeting in July 2009.

Depending on the outcome of the CFE, MPEG may then issue a Draft Call for Proposals. MPEG stated in the CFE that "HVC would be intended mainly for high quality applications, by providing performance improvements in terms of coding efficiency at higher resolutions, with applicability for entertainment-quality services such as HD mobile, home cinema and Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV." Submissions to the CFE were requested for specific test cases that include test material with cropped areas up to size 2560×1600.

Will the consumer’s home ever see this format, or have we reached an asymptote of desirability, where increased resolution comes at a higher cost and with diminishing returns? Large-screen applications such as digital cinema and control room monitoring are pushing the need for higher-resolution formats beyond 1080p, and new standards will ease production, storage and content transfer. But these are professional applications, with consumer electronics likely to be the last realm of a UHD format. Nonetheless, I can’t wait to see it in more than just a demo!