Is There Such a Thing as a 16K TV?
Ever since the invention of the television, the product has become a staple in every household. Size has increased from 14-inch screens to over 300-inch screens, and it appears that there is no limit to what the manufacturers can do. Luckily, they concentrate also on improving the resolution and picture quality. They have gone from 4K to 8K, and now you might be wondering if manufacturers have created a 16K TV. Well, it is already in the works for home use, but for now, it is made for commercial use. Let’s tell you what we know so far about it.
It Was Announced in 2019
Sony has always been at the forefront of offering high-end products, and they want to set themselves apart with a 16K TV. According to Electronic World TV, the first 16K television they unveiled was in 2014 at Haneda Airport, Tokyo. As the article enlightens us, the display looked like several screens assembled instead of a single seamless one. Maybe they wanted to study the reaction to the screen to improve it; thus, in 2019, Sony announced it would soon unveil a 16K TV for commercial purposes. The announcement took place at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show, Las Vegas. Further details disclosed that the screen was under construction in Yokohama at the research center for Shiseido, a Japanese cosmetics group. Additionally, due to the lack of readily available 16K footage, Sony created 16K animal wildlife footage specifically for the display. The screen is as big as a bus, and it stretches between the first and second floors at the research center.
Despite the size, images do not get blurred even when you get closer to the screen. The 16K display has four times as many horizontal pixels as the 4K TV and eight times as many a regular 1080p high definition television. As a result, the display shows images that are much more detailed. The screen that measures 63ft by17ft was flaunted to deliver a quasi-virtual reality experience because the eyes can perceive depth. Of course, installing such a screen at your home would be illogical, especially if you are cramped in a tiny apartment. Besides, having one will take a while because an expert opined that making 16K consumer products will take decades. For this reason, currently, the big screen is limited to the corporate world. Even companies will need enough space to install the screen because if it spans two floors of Shiseido’s research center, it will only make sense to those firms that occupy story buildings.
Features of the 16K TV
The first 16K TV unveiled at the Haneda Airport comprised 16 smaller high-definition televisions. It did not create the impression of one screen, but since Sony has improved the product, the one at the Shiseido research center appears to be a single screen. It is created from smaller modular panels fitted together without visible gaps. The technology used in making the 16K television is Crystal LED, Sony’s brand name for a micro-LED display system. It is brighter than organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens and does not need a backlight. It has screens with 1,000 nits of brightness. Usually, the higher the brightness level, the better the HDR (high dynamic range) performance; the most recommended for excellent HDR performance is at least 800 nits. In the 16K TV, the exceptional brightness is enabled by the 16×18 inches modules in the screen with a 360×360 resolution. According to High Def Digest, the multiple panels comprise ultra-fine self-emissive micro-LEDs that measure 0.003mm2.
The television boasts of high resolution and over a million-to-one contrast ratio thanks to the 99% black surface area. Other features include 140% coverage of sRGB color gamut, 10-bit grayscale, 180-degree viewing angle, and high frames that go up to 120p. It has 3D payback and low heat emission as well. The modular technology enables accommodation of all sizes and resolutions. Some of the configurations that you can consider include 18 units of full HD size 110-inches. You can also opt for 4K size at around 220-inches, and that will need 72 units. Other options are 288 units of 8K size 440-inches and 576 units of 16K size at around 790-inches. Some reports claim that each module goes for $10,000, meaning owning the 16K size of 576 units will cost you $5.76 million. It is no wonder that it has been limited to commercial use first because of the high manufacturing costs that hinder venturing into home entertainment. For now, the focus is on creating lower resolution Crystal LED displays for commercial use.
Should You Consider Buying a 16K TV?
If money is no object, then you might be tempted to splurge on a 16K television, but before you do, maybe you should consider the availability of 16K content. According to CNET, people buy 4K content it is because they know that 4K content is readily available. Most streaming services, gaming consoles, and even Ultra HD Blu-Ray players offer 4K. It is yet to be over the air; hence you are limited to only subscribing to services like Netflix and Amazon. Similarly, if you consider that Sony had to create 16K animal wildlife footage for display at the Shiseido research center, you can be sure you cannot find any 16K content. Therefore, what use will your screen be if you cannot enjoy the high-quality picture it guarantees? However, once the 16K televisions are created for widespread use, you could grab yourself one. For now, perhaps you should consider LG’s new 325-inch Micro –LED home theater. It is not as big as the 16K TV since it measures 23.6ft by 13.3ft for the 8K option. LG offers several aspect ratios to ensure adherence to all size preferences. Since it uses micro-LED technology like the 16K TV, you can be sure of the same picture quality but at a lower price of $1 million.
