Considering the move to 8K in 2021? Good news: the 8K Association has announced an updated performance specification for its 8K Association Certified mark program.
The cross-industry group, established just two years ago (and not to be confused with the Consumer Technology Association, which has its own '8K Ultra HD' logo and set of protocols) says its 8K Association Certified program will benefit from new broader performance requirements applied to 8K TVs, starting this year.
The mark is intended, of course, to alert buyers looking for an 8K TV that a set bearing an 8K Association Certified logo meets the highest performance standards. The mark will be available for qualifying 8K televisions launching in 2021.
Samsung, a firm which sits on the 8K Association's board along with Panasonic and TCL (although notably, neither Sony nor LG are at the table), was quick to spread the news via its Newsroom with the headline "8K Association Strengthens Performance Specification for 8K Televisions".
So what's new? To qualify for the logo, manufacturers must meet new program requirements enabling access to advanced multi-dimensional surround sound formats. These, naturally, are in addition to existing requirements for resolution, luminance, colour and connectivity. The program now also recognises more video decoding standards for 8K content.
“During this difficult time when a communal movie theatre experience is not possible for many, the availability of big-screen TVs with super-sharp 8K resolution offers an alternative cinematic option at home,” said Dan Schinasi, director of product planning at Samsung Electronics America, adding, “With the 8K Association’s support in promoting standards that include audio-video performance and interface standards, we expect that more homes will choose 8K TVs and more 8K content will be soon available in those homes in the year ahead, offering an exceptional home theatre experience.”
Now could be a good time to start thinking more about an 8K future. With plans to capture the delayed Tokyo Olympics in the format, the 8K Association has also announced it will focus its efforts this year on educating video content creators on the benefits of 8K.
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