Forgot the individual products, the most important 8K announcement to come from the CES 2019 show may be the formation of the new The 8K Association (8KA).
The new 8KA industry trade group includes panel suppliers such as AU Optronics (AUO) and Samsung Display, as well as top consumer electronics manufacturers such as Samsung, Panasonic, Hisense and TCL Electronics.
Recently, the group of companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a nonprofit organization to advance their common goal of 8K video adoption.
“The 8K Association will not only provide an effective introduction to 8K technology, but will also accelerate the beginning of the 8K era,” says Hyogun Lee, executive vice president of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.
“By leading the early stages of ecosystem development, Samsung with further solidify its global leadership in the 8K market.”
Some of the trade group's market goals include:
- Promote 8K displays, including TVs and 8K content to consumers and professionals.
- Educate the professional and consumer markets about 8K ecosystems.
- Secure 8K native content for members.
- Work with service providers to develop 8K content.
- Develop initial technical requirements for 8K signals.
- Develop 8K TV categories and baseline specifications for image quality.
8K Association Strives for Value
TCL will look to leverage the resources provided by the 8K Association as it prepares to roll out its 8K products in late 2019.
“The newly founded 8K Association will help drive the introduction of 8K technology in the North American and world market,” notes Chris Larson, senior vice president of TCL North America.
“TCL will become a global leader in 8K display technology and push our partners—both streaming services and manufacturers—to provide consumers with the best possible content in this emerging new market.”
Related: 8K, Smart Home Set to Dominate at CES 2019
WeiLung Liau, CTO of AUO, adds that through the formation of the trade group, the goal is to foster the global adoption of 8K technologies.
“AUO has long been devoted to the development of advanced display technologies and was among the first to have introduced 8K technology to large-size TV displays,” Liau comments.
“It is hoped that through the founding of 8K Association with partners of the ecosystem, globally consistent standards will be established to accelerate the adoption of 8K technology, delivering the best image performance possible for viewers worldwide.”
