Sharp has announced that it will launch the first commercially-available Ultra-High Definition (UHD) 8K resolution TV in October, which will have a $133,000 price tag. The Super-Hi Vision television set will feature 16 times more pixels (p) than a 1080p high-definition display, creating an image so crisp that it seems to be three-dimensional.
The Sharp TV's resolution is an incredible 7680p by 4320p, according to News. However, its astronomically-high price tag could limit sales figures.
The niche market for Sharp's 8K TV model will mostly include businesses with marketers, news reporters, or surgeons who want to test the new format.
For example, marketers could use the 8K televisions to build video walls. Surgeons could also use the displays to conduct operations that require crystal-clear images.
One logistical issue is that the average Japanese home is small, and the new 8K TVs will likely have a minimum screen size of 64 inches. While 4K resolution televisions have one-fourth of the 8K's resolution, they can still provide ultra-high resolution on smaller units.
Demand from the general public likely would not occur until the turn of the decade or so. IHS Technology's Abhi Mallick projected that the new TVs' sales figures probably would not hit one million units until sometime after 2019, according to BBC.
The built-in turner of Sharp's 8K television cannot technically receive 8K resolution broadcasts. Four High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cables are needed to process the huge amounts of data.
Japan's NHK corporation has plans to televise Tokyo's 2020 Summer Olympic Games in 8K resolution. It also intends to launch regular broadcasts in UHD that year.
However, China could boost early demand for the new TV tech. The demand for 4K TVs has been high among wealthy consumers who want to amaze their neighbors, even though early models required set-top boxes to receive 4K resolution content.
The Sharp Corporation was founded in 1912. It first sold products such as snap buckles, mechanical pencils, and radio sets until it introduced its first TV set in 1953.
Here is a first look at Sharp's 8K resolution TV: