World Cup To Be Streamed in 4K Ultra HD On BBC

The BBC has recently announced that three matches during the World Cup in Brazil, will be streamed in UHD (Ultra High Definition, also known as 4K)

This format offers resolutions of up to 4 times higher than 1080p HD.  The matches will include the quarter final and the final which is the first time, in the UK, that a live event has been streamed in UHD.  However, only a few Televisions will be able to access this option within BBC Research and Development facilities.  But, UHD could become the norm in the future.

One of the difficulties with this technology is the ability to make it compatible with existing technology, such as broadband.  20Mbps (megabits per second) is the minimum speed needed in order to watch UHD without any glitches.

A research analyst, Toby Syfret, at Enders research group states, “It’s a good idea for the BBC to trial these things and the results on a large screen look impressive but it also needs to be realistic about the potential to push this across current broadcast networks.”

“The trials will prove hugely valuable in furthering our understanding of UHD technology, and potential distribution models for the future,” says Matthew Postgate who is a controller of BBC Research and Development.

4K will hopefully be the next big thing.  TV manufacturers are depending on it to get people to switch their televisions.  Although there is not a lot of content available for 4K, Netflix has made some of its shows available in this technology.  A way off, 4K seems to be the future of television.

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SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27713243