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CTA defines a standard for 8K TVs - again

23.9.2019

Translation: machine translated

The CTA (Consumer Technology Association) is defining an official standard for 8K televisions. Is this a first step towards transparency for consumers? Not at all.

The CTA has just presented the official standards for 8K devices. In addition to the standards, the trade association that hosts the annual [CES show in Las Vegas] (https://www.ces.tech/) is introducing the new 8K-UHD logo.

Standards for greater transparency

In order to be allowed to display the 8K logo or label, manufacturers must comply with the following standards:

definition: at least 33 million active pixels. There must be at least 7680 pixels horizontally and 4320 pixels vertically in the 16:9 format.
Refresh rate: for a resolution of 7680 × 4320 pixels, the rate must be 24, 30 or 60 frames per second (FPS).
HDR: the device must have the HDR transfer functions and colorimetric parameters specified by standard ITU-R BT.2100.
Colour depth: ability to receive 10-bit 8K images and render an image indicating responsiveness to any change made to any of the 10 bits.
Copy protection: HDCP v2.2 or equivalent content protection.
Scaling: SD, HD and Ultra HD/4K video must be able to be scaled to 8K-UHD definition.

The aim is to ensure greater transparency for consumers in the consumer electronics market: any TV bearing this logo should be able to be purchased without worry by the consumer.

One more useless logo?

The 8K-UHD label is intended to bring order to the chaos of manufacturer logos and is supposed to bring transparency. At least, that's the theory. Stupid, only if you consider that the 8K Association, to which major players such as Samsung, TCL and Panasonic belong, has already presented its own 8K label with its peculiar requirements just a month ago.

Things promise to get even more complicated if the UHD Alliance, whose premium Ultra-HD label we know well and which includes LG and Sony among others, follows suit to create its own label. We'll end up with three different labels and three different standards which, instead of bringing transparency to the market, will only confuse us a little more.

Background information
Ultra HD Premium: What’s the point?
by Luca Fontana

While before only manufacturers were fighting over HDR or UHD logos, trade associations have joined the battle. Unfortunately, this is having the opposite of the desired effect.

Because, dear association, there's nothing transparent about all this, it's simply absurd.

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Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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