8K for pro AV with SDVoE

An important goal of the pro AV industry is to create great user experiences. Optimizing video contrast, sharpness, color expression and resolution on screens large and small is an important part of that mission. Offering four times the pixels of 4K (3840 x 2160 = 8,294,400), 8K (7680 x 4320 = 33,177,600 pixels) provides exciting hyperrealism, capturing even the subtlest lighting and shading effects, which gives the perception of higher brightness and contrast, sharper edges, greater depth of field, and greater tonality. A 3D-like effect is created, just like real objects.

SDVoE: The world’s first 8K AV-over-IP signal distribution solution

To truly experience the beauty of 8K, everything from content capture through post-production, distribution and finally to display must be part of a well-integrated ecosystem. SDVoE plays a vital role in bringing 8K to pro AV by providing the world’s first 8K AV-over-IP solution. HDMI 2.1 defines many 8K formats with varying bit depth, chroma subsampling, frame rate and color space. SDVoE 8K supports all of them without adding any compression or latency. Four independent links on an off-the-shelf 10G Ethernet switch provide 40Gb per 8K endpoint, no special or unusual switches are required.

Soon-to-be-released SDVoE transmitters and receivers deliver 8K video across a standard 10G network and are entirely backward with compatible with 4K SDVoE systems. An existing 4K 10G SDVoE transmitter can send signals to a new 8K 4x10G SDVoE receiver. The opposite is also true, assuming 4K is sent from the 8K transmitter (obviously, an 8K signal cannot be sent to a 4K RX). What comes in goes out without compromise – no added compression or latency.

The market for 8K in pro AV

To appreciate the 8K difference, it is estimated that a screen of at least 65 inches is required and even larger screens benefit immensely from the quadrupling of pixels 8K displays provide, resulting in smoother gradients and improved sharpness. There are huge potential markets for 8K systems in the pro AV space starting with live events that feature massive screens and outdoor signage where bigger and bigger canvases are becoming the norm. As prices come down, people will also want to use 8K displays in corporate environments, for smaller video walls, in museums and of course, to facilitate medical applications, where 8K endoscopes now exist.

Learn about 8K

For a quick intro to “8K and HDMI 2.1”, visit SDVoE Academy where you can watch a short course about how HDMI version 2.1 meets the demanding requirements of 8K and beyond while continuing to provide vital support for devices which are not 8K compatible.

The 8K Association (8KA) is a not-for-profit organization composed of key technology companies in the consumer and professional 8K ecosystem. The 8KA has been organized to educate, promote and evangelize on the many aspects of the 8K ecosystem from content creation and production to distribution and consumer consumption. Their mission is to accelerate industry-wide adoption of 8K content, products and services. The 8KA has established a number of work groups to help provide information about the state of the 8K ecosystem to consumers, organizations and standards development groups. They operate two websites, which offer a wealth of information and resources – discover8k.com is consumer focused, 8kassociation.com is targeted for industry professionals.

SDVoE LIVE! season 1, episode 5, “The 8K Revolution in Pro AV” featured Chris Chinnock, president of the 8K Association in conversation with Justin Kennington, president of the SDVoE Alliance, about how 8K might roll out in pro AV and what 8K is going to do for the industry.

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