Is there already an 8K x 8K camera? Japan responds at the 4K HDR Summit in Seville

• NHK, Japanese public television, will present at the 4K HDR Summit in Seville the 8K x 8K camera, an innovative and cutting-edge “small-sized but high-potential device that expands the scope of UHD production”.
• NHK was the first broadcaster to broadcast 8K television and continues to lead research in this innovative format, superior to 4K.
• Seville hosts the 10th edition of the 4K HDR Summit, to be held at the Nissan Cartuja Auditorium from November 11 to 14 in hybrid format, coinciding with the 21st edition of the Seville European Film Festival.

The 4K HDR Summit, “Where technology and content have time to talk”, is finalizing its preparations to celebrate its 10th edition in Seville, a city that will bring together from November 11 to 14 at the Nissan Cartuja Auditorium the leading companies, institutions, associations and personalities of the global audiovisual industry, which will address the present, future and applications of the most advanced technology (UHD/4K, HDR, 8K).

The summit will be held in a hybrid format with two face-to-face sessions (Monday 11 and Tuesday 12) at the Nissan Cartuja Auditorium and two virtual sessions (13 and 14), coinciding with the 21st edition of the Seville European Film Festival.

Among the list of leading institutions and organizations, NHK, Japan’s state broadcaster, will be represented by research engineer Kodai Kikuchi, who will talk about a new compact camera system with an 8K x 8K square aspect ratio image sensor, an innovative and cutting-edge “small-sized but high-potential device that expands the scope of UHD production”.

As a pioneer in broadcast technologies, NHK was in 2018 the first broadcaster to test and adopt 8K television, with a satellite channel, and currently continues to lead research in this innovative format, broadcasting some events in this super high resolution. The channel broadcasts content in 8K resolution, including documentaries, concerts, restored classic movies and sporting events.

The 4K HDR Summit 2024 will once again become the international venue where NHK will unveil the details of this 8K x 8K camera system and the results of test shots taken for 180-degree field-of-view content.

First television to launch an 8K channel

NHK has played a key role in the development and implementation of 8K technology, being the pioneer worldwide. For decades, NHK has invested in the research and development of advanced transmission technologies, seeking to improve the quality of picture and sound on television.

As part of its advances in 8K technology, NHK used the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021 due to the pandemic) as a key platform to demonstrate this innovative format worldwide. In this way, the Japanese state television broadcasted several live sporting events in 8K, allowing Japanese viewers to enjoy the Games with unprecedented visual and sound quality.

NHK has also played a key role in developing the cameras, monitors and transmission systems needed to produce and transmit 8K content. Due to the sheer amount of data the technology handles, it has been a challenge for both image capture and long-distance transmission. NHK has collaborated with technology companies to create 8K cinema cameras, as well as efficient video compression systems and transmission satellites.

The conferences of the 4K HDR Summit 2024 can be followed on Medina Media Events’ ‘The Observatory’ and will be available 24/365. On this platform, attendees can also schedule video meetings with other participants and speakers, in addition to exclusive virtual demonstrations.

The tenth edition of the 4K HDR Summit is organized by Medina Media Events by Medina Media Events and is supported by the Agencia Digital de Andalucía (ADA), Dolby, MOME, Vicomtech, Canal Sur Radio and Television,. EVS, Synamedia, Fraunhofer IIS, Axion, Mediakind, Ateme, AJA, Hispasat, Quantum, Cellnex, Eutelsat, Rohde & Schwarz, Canon, Sapec and UHD Spain, among others.