Slow Going at 8KA, Which Plans to Use NAB Show to Stir Attention; Sony Won't Join
As Samsung began taking preorders this week on 8K smart TVs (see 1902110050), Chris Chinnock, executive director of the 8K Association, reports little new progress getting Samsung-inspired 8KA off the ground. The nonprofit was formed at CES to address 8K,…
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including challenges of procuring native content and encouraging launch of 8K streaming services (see 1901100027). IHS Markit doesn’t see 8K TVs as a large opportunity for some time, emailed Paul Gagnon, executive director-research and analysis, Tuesday. IHS forecasts all vendors this year will ship 43,000 8K TVs in North America, 338,000 sets globally. Panasonic’s participation shows 8KA has global ambitions. Panasonic is collaborating with NHK to bring 8K broadcasts to Japanese consumers by the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Chinnock saw a report Monday that Samsung officials are "reaching out to their competitors,” including LG Electronics and Sony, to join 8KA. “We will invite them,” he told us. LGE declined comment Tuesday. Sony said Tuesday it won't join 8KA because it thinks 8K "definition" work is better handled by groups like CTA. 8KA hopes to “set up committees within the month to start work, which will take time, of course,” said Chinnock. The group’s website lists plans to form five committees, from promotion to content and certification, plus distribution and technology. April’s NAB Show “is on our radar for something next,” said Chinnock. “The wheels grind slowly with lots of big players.”