Ministry: 50% Japanese homes U-HD by 2020
September 8, 2014
By Chris Forrester
Japan’s Internal Affairs & Communications Ministry has issued the most bullish forecast yet of the country’s take-up of Ultra-HD, in both 4K and 8K versions.
The ministry says that both 4K and 8K experimental broadcasts will start in 2016 paving the way for full-scale transmissions – in both formats – starting in 2018. All broadcasting will take place initially on the country’s ‘BS’ (broadcast satellite) systems. Terrestrial transmission will have to wait until there’s enough bandwidth available.
Japan’s government says viewers will not be forced to discard old sets. However, it believes there will be considerable take-up of the new super-clear technology. While the new 4K sets, increasingly available in Japan, currently represent just 2 per cent of distribution this is predicted to shoot up to more than 50 per cent by 2020 boosted by the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.