Is 2019 the Year of 8K? You May Be Just a Step Away from It

If 8K in 2018 was just a fantasy, then 2019 is undoubtedly the first year of 8K. Whether it is this year's CES 2019 or AWE 2019, Chinese and foreign color TV brands are all actively displaying their own 8K TVs, and the TV exhibition area can be said to be a hundred flowers blooming. 8K TVs are entering the vision of global consumers. With the express train of 5G network, 8K will usher in a leap-forward growth. According to IHS Markit statistics, the global shipments of 8K TVs will have the opportunity to reach 300,000 units in 2019.

　　However, if you want to truly enjoy 8K images, in addition to having a TV that supports 8K resolution and 8K film sources, you are likely still a line away from 8K.

　　In the early days, when transmitting audio and video to TV sets from PCs, audio and video players and other devices, it was necessary to connect audio and video data cables at the same time. Moreover, there were many different types of interfaces, which made it very troublesome for users to connect. This situation changed after the HDMI specification was officially released in 2002. HDMI stands for "High Definition Multimedia Interface", which means "High Definition Multimedia Interface". Since its birth, the ability to transmit audio and video data at the same time has made HDMI stand out among a number of interface standards and become the most common mainstream interface standard in daily life.

　　After years of development, the HDMI interface version has evolved from 1.0 to the current mainstream 2.0. As the current standard interface in the 4K industry, HDMI 2.0 can support 4K video playback at 60 frames per second, with ideal video effects. However, this is insufficient for 8K. Although the current mainstream HDMI 2.0 also supports the transmission of 8K content, it can only do so at 24 frames/30 frames per second.

　　Sharp launched a civilian-grade 8K TV in 2017. However, since it was equipped with an HDMI 2.0 interface at the time, in order to meet the huge data throughput requirements of 8K content, the TV used four HDMI 2.0 interfaces for signal transmission during the on-site demonstration. It can be seen that the current mainstream HDMI 2.0 technology can no longer meet the needs of 8K, and the design that requires 4X HDMI 2.0 to achieve 8K is undoubtedly embarrassing.

　　In order to meet the higher requirements of audio and video transmission in the future ultra-high-definition era, the HDMI organization has released the latest HDMI 2.1 technical standard. Compared with HDMI 2.0, the bandwidth of 2.1 has increased sharply from 18 Gbps to 48 Gbps, which can perfectly support videos with resolutions and refresh rates such as 4K/120Hz, 8K/60Hz, and even 10K, and also supports dynamic HDR. Using an HDMI 2.1 transmission cable, 8K content can be perfectly transmitted. It can be said that just like HDMI 2.0 is standard for 4K, HDMI 2.1 will be a necessary bridge to connect to the 8K era.

　　Not long ago, the foreign company Club3D announced the launch of an ultra-high-speed HDMI 2.1 cable that complies with the UHS standard. In terms of television, according to foreign media reports, LG confirmed that its 2019 OLED and high-end LCD TVs will fully support the HDMI 2.1 interface. As an old rival, Samsung also equipped its 8K QLED TV with HDMI 2.1.

　　Although HDMI 2.1 has many advantages, it seems that the high cost of peripheral cables for HDMI 2.1 data cables is an important reason that restricts its popularity. Passive cables can be used for HDMI 2.0 data cables within 15 meters, but once the length of HDMI 2.1 high-speed data cables exceeds 3 meters, power supply needs to be added to drive signal transmission. After 5 meters, pure copper wires cannot meet the demand, and AOC, or active optical cable, is needed. Due to the high cost of modules such as optical fiber and photoelectric conversion, a 20-meter HDMI 2.0 active optical cable currently costs as much as four or five hundred yuan, and the price of HDMI 2.1, which also requires an active optical cable, is likely to be higher. The cable problem of HDMI2.1 is likely to affect the popularity of 8K TVs.

Theoretically, HDMI 2.1 is undoubtedly very forward-looking. It can not only double the refresh rate of 4K, but also the upcoming 8K and future 10K TVs will need it for transmission to get a better viewing experience. Although consumers may not use HDMI 2.1 in the short term, it is certain that, whether it is 8K or HDMI 2.1, with the promotion of technology, popularization may only be a matter of time.