Imagine a television so thin that it would fit perfectly as your wallpaper.
LG stunned the world with its W series of 4K OLED televisions last year and many of their competitors have stepped up their game, promising the possibility that paper-thin screens will be part of almost every household in the next five years or so.
And that is where broadcasters will have a new challenge – ensuring televisions exist seamlessly and holistically with mobile devices.
Paul Dale, who has been in the broadcast industry for 20 years, said it is high time broadcasters brought all the different experiences together.
“As soon as the television becomes a millimetre thick and is plastered on your wall, it’ll change things (viewing experience),” said Dale.
“This is genuinely a five-year thing and you could see a majority of homes fitted with such televisions in the next 10 years.”
He said the challenge was to see how things done over the phone will also be reflected on the television.
“The mobile phone is so integrated in our lives and we need to take the television to that level.”
“If you speak to any pay-TV operator around the world, the mobile takes a different experience than the television, so there is a need to bring it all together,” said Dale, who is director of The Dales Company.
Dale said this after witnessing Astro kick off its public screening sessions for its 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) broadcast at Souled Out in Desa Hartamas last night. Astro will introduce the 4K UHD service by the year-end.
Dale, who also consults Astro, said the company was also on a mission of creating a seamless system between mobile phones and television.
Asked whether there were those who couldn’t tell the difference between 4K and High Definition, Dale said in jest: “They should clean their glasses.”
4K generally refers to a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels – four times the 1,920 x 1,080 pixels found in a typical full HD television. 4K has some 8.3 million pixels, offering a better defined image with more detail and texture.
“I would rate Formula One at the top of the viewing experience on a 4K screen followed by cricket and football. The clarity is so amazing that you can make out those sitting on the stands.”
“You don’t need 8K at the moment. 4K is just right, top of the ceiling and offers the best viewing experience,” he added.