LONDON: The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is getting ready to start licensing Ultra High Definition discs, meaning that for early tech-adopting consumers, finding native content for their UHDTVs is about to get much, much, easier.
Ultra-high definition TV – also known as 4KTV – boasts four times the horizontal resolution of a high definition television for the sharpest, clearest and most accurate moving images in the history of consumer media consumption.
However, while televisions equipped with the technology have been on sale for two years, content capable of filling their screens has been much harder to come by.
Netflix and Amazon have started streaming some of their video in 4K resolution, while companies like Samsung and Sony have been offering customers media players onto which a number of 4K titles have been preinstalled and on to which new films can be downloaded.
However, in both cases, Internet bandwidth and patience are of the essence. All of which is why the BDA’s announcement is so crucial to the immediate future of the technology.
“Ultra HD Blu-ray enables the delivery of an unparalleled, consistent and repeatable experience that will set the standard for Ultra HD entertainment, the same way Blu-ray Disc did for high definition viewing,” said Victor Matsuda, chair, BDA Promotions Committee. “With the commencement of licensing we would anticipate product announcements from various companies as we approach the 2015 holiday season.”
The technology is already proving popular in China – the country currently accounts for over 70% of UHDTV sales. And, according to Futuresource Consulting appetite for UHDTV is also increasing in Europe and the US.
“4K adoption is forecast to grow quickly from 2015 onwards with over 100 million shipments projected in 2018, representing 38% of the total TV market,” said David Tett, Futuresource research analyst.
However, this will hinge on how easy it is to access content as much as how affordable television sets become.
“Ultra HD Blu-ray aids consumer adoption of Ultra HD by providing an immediate, tangible way to watch Ultra HD content that completely bypasses service provider and bandwidth-based variables,” said Paul Erickson, a senior analyst at IHS Technology.
Licensing of the technology officially begins on Aug 24 and for new Blu-ray Players to meet the criteria set out by the BDA, they will have to be backwards compatible with existing HD Blu-ray discs as well as the new UHD version.
