Ultra HD Anime on Japanese TV “By 2014″

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Anime in 3840×2160 “2160p” UHDTV resolutions should be available by the summer of 2014, as the Japanese government is pressing for the rollout of 4K UHDTV 2 years ahead of schedule in an effort to save the TV industry from collapse.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications had formerly intended to introduce the next generation of HDTV in 2016, but has announced it will be bringing this goal forward 2 years to July 2014, to hopefully coincide with the World Cup in Brazil.

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The “Ultra Hi-Vision” 2160p broadcasts will start on Japan’s “BS” and “CS” satellite channels, to be later expanded to terrestrial digital TV.

It is expected that Japan will be one of the first (if not the first) nation to introduce UHDTV, although the huge bandwidth required may mean a lengthy period of spectrum shuffling on satellite and terrestrial frequencies will be required before all channels are available.

Previously NHK had been indicating it would rather switch straight to “8K” UHD (4320p, or 7680*4320) due to the enormous cost and complexity involved with upgrading TV broadcast and receiving infrastructure twice rather than once.

According to industry figures, Japanese TV sales for 2012 were down an eye-watering 66%, and with “3D” stereoscopic TV having proved an unwanted gimmick and ever larger screens unable to sustain sales (and probably unable to fit in an increasing number of Japanese homes), it would seem the next generation of HD is the only way sales can be revived.

Certainly it looks likely that if forced to wait until 2016 for any upgrades there would not be much left of Japan’s TV industry, which is already being eviscerated by competition from lower cost producers in the rest of East Asia, making the new standard an abject necessity from this perspective.

It has also been noted that with the CAS encryption system underpinning most of Japan’s satellite broadcasts irreversibly cracked last year, the TV broadcast industry has a strong interest in pushing for a new broadcast system (its only other recourse is reissuing every CAS card in existence) – as does the video game industry, which is going to have difficulty offering much in the way of graphical improvements if it is stuck on pathetically low TV resolutions.

However, none of this addresses the reasons fewer Japanese are watching TV in the first place, something generally blamed on the atrocious quality of mainstream TV, which will presumably remain unchanged even in UHDTV.

There are mixed opinions of the announcement online – unsurprisingly considering the Internet is probably responsible for much of the declining interest in TV in Japan and elsewhere:

“Poor Sky Tree!”

“You’d think they’d be more concerned about increasing the awful quality of their programming than the resolution.”

“That is the big problem…”

“What is the point of such high resolution? Sports and nature documentaries? They can’t use it on variety shows and the drama shows look bad enough in HDTV…”

“As long as there is anime on terrestrial TV who cares about this.”

“For anime they are deliberately lowering the quality of TV broadcasts to promote disc sales so it hardly matters.”

“They need to go and beg the forgiveness of all the suckers who bought 3D TVs…”

“Expect a new standard every 3 years from here on.”

“8K is already an international standard so 4K is really just a transient standard, with 8K the main event later.”

“This is just business. Without a new format nobody has any reason to buy new TVs now, so the makers will never survive without it. Not that I’ll be buying one.”

“I think this won’t pan out as well as they hope. Before it was flat, thin digital TVs driving the upgrades, not just resolution. A new tuner could suffice for most now.”

“People are still renting DVDs so I wonder about this.”

“Will bad skin suddenly start looking good at a resolution 4 times higher, I wonder?”

“This sort of progress is simply to be expected of a high tech nation.”

“Great, now we can see each individual pore of our crappy celebrities.”

“All the lengths those poor actresses will have to go to to tidy up their skin now…”

“Even normal HDTV has eliminated a lot of actresses who don’t look good enough – how many will 4K do for?”

“The spread of this tech just depends on them making lots of porn available in it.”



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    214 Comments
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    Comment by Pres
    04:51 28/01/2013 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    Imagine the CoalGirls releases next year.

    Comment by Anonymous
    04:53 28/01/2013 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    1 TB per episode.

    Comment by Zero_G
    14:23 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Well, joke aside, h265 is coming in 12 months more or less.

    I think that 2k, 4k, 8k, are unnecessary at homes, because you need a very big screen. That being the primary reason, then comes the need of a new storage device, etc etc etc.

    Comment by Anonymous
    17:34 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    2K is only very slightly higher resolution than standard 1920x1080 HD. And 4K doesn't have to be on a large screen - stick to the same size screen and have smaller pixels. I hate to sound like a Mac fanboi (which I'm not), but the ultimate aim is to get the screen resolution comparable to that of the human eye, i.e. the "retina display". A typical desktop monitor at 1080 isn't a "retina display" by any means.

    But the second point is that even if we get 4K anime, will we actually just be getting upscales? Right now, a lot of mainstream anime is made in 720 and then upscaled to 1080 for Blu-ray release. Moving to native 4K will multiply the storage and processor requirements of the studios by a factor of around 9. Yes, I know about Moore's Law, but somebody still has to pay the upgrade bills.

    Comment by Anonymous
    21:26 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Actually, these resolutions are designed so that 720p and 1080p will look exactly the same on these TV's as it would on normal HDTV's, all it would need to do is scale one pixel into 4 for 1080p, and scale 1 into 9 for 720p. Anime will still look the same

    Comment by Anonymous
    21:29 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    BTW, the 2160p resolution isn't called "2k", it's been officially named "4k resolution". 4320P is "8k resolution". There is no such thing as 2k resolution :P

    Comment by Chen-04
    19:01 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    "10-bit encodes, and they can encode any 720p anime episode into 100-120 mb with excellent quality."

    Hopefully you're not talking about the group [Hi10], because their releases look like shit. Compression is meaningless if it isn't lossless.. like how mp3 is inferior to flac. Just because you don't notice doesn't mean no one notices.

    Comment by Anonymous
    01:33 30/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    17:34
    Toshiba has a display with a higher pixel density than Apple's retina display & has had it for years. The real problem is the interface, even duallink dvi struggles to keep up with high pixel count displays.

    Comment by Chen-04
    18:30 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    "the difference between watching anime on a DVD or a 1080p blu-ray is marginal"
    ....not! The jump from 480p to 720p is freaking awesome.

    Comment by Anonymous
    16:29 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    "A typical desktop monitor at 1080 isn't a "retina display" by any means."

    But a television at that resolution is, so long as you're sitting at a typical viewing distance. At a distance of 2 meters (6.5 feet), someone with 20/20 vision isn't going to notice any perceptible difference between 1080p and 2160p on a 50 inch display. There may be four times as many pixels, but you can't distinguish them from that far away. As far as television goes, 4k will mostly be a gimmick that will add cost to screens without adding any real value. 8k is even more pointless, since you'd need to be sitting less than 1 meter from a 50" display to notice any slight difference from 4k, and would have to crane your neck back and forth just to watch a show.

    Even if you are sitting close enough to a 4k screen to be able to see the added detail, and are viewing a native 2160p broadcast, anime isn't likely to look any better. The animators can only draw in so much detail, after all. Even the difference between watching anime on a DVD or a 1080p blu-ray is marginal. Lines might look a bit sharper, but otherwise you're not getting any more actual detail.

    Manufacturers can't expect television sales to continue as they have in recent years. People were willing to upgrade their old CRT televisions to higher resolution flat screens, but minor features and quality improvements don't provide nearly as much incentive to upgrade again.

    Comment by Gradius
    03:43 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    DORK! h.265 is ALREADY HERE! RIGHT NOW!

    Comment by Anonymous

    There are already some anime-sites which specialize in 10-bit encodes, and they can encode any 720p anime episode into 100-120 mb with excellent quality. Also 1080p with 150-200 mb/ep.
    Compression and encoding settings matters the most, which Coalgirls doesn't really use.

    Comment by Anonymous
    00:05 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    CoalGirls released around 500mb per episode while other group around 300mb. Nearly twice the size, and the batch 26 episodes even deadly in size.

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:17 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Haha file rip of that size will make even the tenacious pirates sweating.

    Comment by Anonymous
    08:59 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    >he doesn't own a NAS box
    youre power level is weak, son

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:59 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Not really with how cheap hdd's are, they'd just add another hdd to their pc and be done with it.

    Comment by Youkai moe
    07:45 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    It's probably the only thing that could even deter pirates.

    Comment by Youkai moe
    08:01 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Actually it should be closer to around 368 GB.

    I guess this means GE may have found a killer app for that 500GB holographic disc they developed in 2011.

    Comment by Anonymous
    20:19 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Yeah and you'll need to buy new blu-rays, new tablets, smartphones, tv's,more powerfull pc to decode that new codec ...

    Comment by Anonymous
    08:54 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    actually within the next few years they are rolling out a new codec that will halve current file sizes.

    yea... not much of a difference but it makes a difference

    Comment by Anonymous
    10:56 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    LOL Fucking true!

    Comment by Anonymous
    04:30 28/01/2013 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    Welp, time to buy more HDD for my anime...

    Comment by Anonymous
    04:38 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.8)

    No need, as they will all be upscales anyway.

    We're lucky enough to get native 1080p animu, and most of them are upscales of 720p, 1080i sources.

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:51 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.8)

    If you consider the complexity of Anime sources, even 1080p is mostly yet oversized.

    Comment by Artwork
    04:41 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    Good to see somebody here who gets it.

    They want to try this with the 2014 football championship.

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:02 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    Football=soccer

    Not the American version.

    Comment by Anonymous
    19:23 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Football = AMERICAN FOOTBALL.

    Futbol = Euroqueerfaggot sissyboy kickball.

    Comment by Dan Hibiki

    It's called "The Super Bowl"

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:02 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    What about BD movies? Aren't they mostly out in 1080 anyway?

    I mean, at the very least, try to promote something that could be worth it, no?

    Comment by david
    09:33 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    anime*

    animu sounds so dumb.

    Comment by Anonymous
    01:27 30/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    >he doesn't understand irony

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:09 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    animu tv is produced in 480i, 540p & 720p. only animu film & ova is in higher resolution.

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:55 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Have fun with your interlaced, upscaled bullshit...

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:06 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Lets hope all that beautiful HD isn't wasted on bars of light and steam.....

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:10 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Wouldn't tv of that size take too much space in the already tiny and cramped Japanese house? Hope they don't break it by bumping on it while changing clothes.

    Comment by Anonymous
    12:35 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Yes, TV IS DEAD! Fuch¿king dinosaurs, they gotta give yup,

    Fucking Copyright in gonna be dead soon enough as well

    Comment by Anonymous

    Nope.

    Copyright will live on, better distribution channels to the masses will ensure that while reducing the piracy. Win-win for everybody.

    There's a reason why Spotify and Netflix are successes.

    Comment by Anonymous
    12:09 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    GTE THE FUCK OUT, copyright TROLL

    Comment by Anonymous

    I watch anime only in 240p. It adds atmosphere.

    Comment by Anonymous
    00:07 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Wow. That is so sad, watching anime on youtube.

    Pro tips: Youtube have setting button, you can change the video into 1080p if the uploader made it available.

    Comment by Anonymous
    04:41 28/01/2013 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    TV is a dead-end anyway IMHO. I'm 27 and I don't even consider buying my own TV set when I move out from my parents' house. I just don't like the idea of sitting and passively watching what some broadcaster wants me to watch, mixed with a shitload of commercials. I watch anime almost exclusively anyway and as there's no anime on TV in my country there's almost nothing on TV that interests me. Oh, forgot about The Walking Dead... but I won't buy a TV and subscription for one show ;)

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:59 28/01/2013 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    Seriously, there is no good reason to watch TV. Everything you need is on the internet... Well at the very least... Shit that won't make you into a brain dead fat ass.

    Comment by Anonymous
    11:27 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.8)

    Oh, but there's plenty of that on the internet as well.

    Comment by Anonymous
    16:53 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.8)

    The "as well" part is very important.

    Choices, choices, choices.

    Comment by Anonymous
    09:53 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    If I live in Japan I will watch TV (many interesting show and Anime).
    but I need to learn Japanese first.

    Comment by Anonymous
    10:36 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    You know you can hook up a computer to a tv right? I have my 42" tv on my desktop at the side of my 24" monitor, dualscreening, i watch shit in one while i play in the other, or whatever i like, i love having my tv pluged at my pc.

    Comment by Anonymous
    01:28 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    We have a choice to engross ourselves with much knowledge with the information on the internet. But instead most of us choose to watch silly cat videos and porn.

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:47 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    I dont watch cable either, but I'm still excited to hear about this, as a few 3840×2160 40 inch monitors would be amazing.

    Comment by Anonymous
    09:32 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.8)

    I have a TV, but I don't even view it as a TV any more-- I consider it a required video game console accessory.

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:05 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    TV isn't a dead end. Broadcast networks are. Streaming and download services will eat them alive in less than ten years. I'll buy a nice TV-set when I don't live in a one room flat, any more, but I'll only use it for Netflix and blu-rays.

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:39 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    Here's the issue: The ones bringing you TV and Internet are very often the same guys.
    When in the history of manking has any industry voluntarily given up to make room for their replacement?
    We'd still be riding horses if the same guys were in charge of selling horses and cars.

    Comment by Anonymous
    22:45 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    And the problem there is that unlike back in those times, most companies are huge conglomerates!

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:10 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Pretty much. Frankly to me it's kinda of a mistery why it seems we're moving to internet-tv (not broadcast only) just now... Tech is not the point, it's pretty much what we can already do with a good desktop PC.

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:40 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.8)

    mac? fair price? HAHAHAHAHA

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:59 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    because fanboys and bangwagoners follow what's hip. and a good desktop is too complicated for the hip people and premade pcs are overpriced.

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:03 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Unless it's a mac. Then it's a fair price.

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:10 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    >still watches the walking dead

    should have dropped it after ep4, instead of wasting your time on that shit series

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:43 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    It's a shame greentexting anyplace other than an imageboard won't die like 3D tvs. But I guess the kiddies have to try to look witty somehow.

    Comment by Anonymous
    22:28 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    >he doesn't know this is how email looked in the 90s
    >thinks it is exclusive to chan sites
    >calls others 'kiddies'

    lol the kiddie is you, kid. now run home to mommy.

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:18 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    I only have cable for my cable modem and the TV simply serves as a large display for netflix & anime.

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:22 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.4)

    >27
    >"when i move out of my parents' house"

    hmmm....TV is the last thing you should be worrying about as of now

    Comment by Anonymous
    23:07 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.4)

    In the real world, with this economy, it's pretty much the norm, bro.

    It's not 1960 USA.

    Comment by Anonymous
    23:51 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    if your parents live in a 12 room house, why waste money? that's how i view it, throw away sense of shame and you'll save yourself thousands of whatever your currency is.

    Comment by Anonymous
    10:54 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    I dont even have I TV!

    This is the ERA OF INTERNET, GIVE UP FUCKING DINOSAURS!

    Copyright will die as well!

    Comment by Anonymous
    10:46 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    thats true^ but using a tv as pc monitor isn't bad, watching anime in HD on the bigscreen is quite nice.

    Comment by Anonymous
    19:26 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    "TV is a dead-end anyway IMHO. I'm 27 and I don't even consider buying my own TV set when I move out from my parents' house. I just don't like the idea of sitting and passively watching what some broadcaster wants me to watch"

    I don't want to be mean, really. It will seem like I'm starting a fight so I need to put in that disclaimer.

    But if you really want to do something active, not passive, perhaps it's already time to move out?

    There's reasons not to which I understand, but it can lead to a lot of great things for you.

    Comment by Chen-04
    04:57 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Yeah... TV is pretty much dead, but not everyone noticed that simple fact yet. Probably it will keep itself alive for generations to come, like with radio. Though, unlike radio, I can't see any situation were a TV still fits in my life. And even with radio that's pretty much only while waiting for someone like my dentist....

    Comment by Anonymous

    Sometimes i feel a bit envy of our forefathers. They only have one hd resolution of their eyes, and the whole world is their screen. The world is bigger and full of expectations back then. Now, the whole world can be cramped into one little box.

    Comment by Anonymous
    19:24 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Do you want to be wondered by the ordinary or bored by the extraordinary? At first, you can appreciate the feelings of appreciation had by those without the technology to make their tiny experiences redundant, but if you think about how lucky we are to live in a time where we are able to do so much and collect so much information that it seems boring to look at a live stream of a robot on another planet, I think, personally, we have it pretty good.

    Comment by Anonymous
    09:54 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Afraid of bathing-Church,check
    Burn witches-Church,check
    High death rate, Refusing science-Church,check
    Molesting child-Church,check
    In conclusion?

    Comment by Anonymous

    They also were afraid of bathing, had an abysmal high rate of child deaths and burned witches.
    Fuck them, thank god they're dead.

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:23 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    "but I won't buy a TV and subscription for one show"

    I find the biggest problem is that broadcasters and cable providers can't let go of the idea of channels, time slots, and region locking.

    So instead of forcing me to buy 50 channels on basic cable followed by 3 tiers of upgrade channels to get the one that airs the one show I want to watch, give me the ability to subscribe to a particular show (like a YouTube Channel but through micro payments), let me watch it on demand and in whatever quality I choose when it best fits MY schedule and don't region lock it to the USA only. You know what? I might even be willing to pay slightly more for a totally commercial free version.

    There's a reason HULU, Netflix, and the like are growing in business while the cable co's are losing it.

    Comment by Anonymous
    02:45 30/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    you are 27 and still live at home?

    Comment by Daniel Park
    06:15 30/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    hey don't hate. I'm 27 and living at home, it's the good life full of hentai and kpop.

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:40 30/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Indeed, nothing wrong with living with ones parent at any age, 20, 30 or even 40.

    No shame in it,Its mostly fucking US individualism mentality that teels them that they should move out and practically forgrt about family.

    Other see it as inconvenience to have "sex". But novels are there for a reason.

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:42 30/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    Quality matters to many people still. A near cinema experience is what many people want. Not straining our eyes looking at a little screen on a gadget or PC monitor (even the good ones look tiny compared to my home theater). So, no I disagree that this is a dead end. It is the only way to do it for many of us.

    Comment by Anonymous
    01:02 31/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    27 and still living with your parents, i hope its a cultural thing

    Comment by Anonymous
    03:21 29/01/2013 # ! Neutral (0)

    A lot of bawling from losers who can't afford cable, let alone a CRT tycoon, lol

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:37 28/01/2013 # ! Drivel (-0.8)

    "I just don't like the idea of sitting and passively watching what some broadcaster wants me to watch, mixed with a shitload of commercials."

    right, right...way to show the man and validate yourself.

    TV isn't dead, paying monthly cable and satellite subscriptions for 300 channels is dead because like most people you probably only use 4 channels and from there only about 5 shows. Netflix is in the now and the future of TV

    Comment by Anonymous
    12:27 28/01/2013 # ! Good (+0.6)

    Netflix? Is that the cool, hip way of saying Piratebay?

    Comment by Anonymous

    Is posting dumb questions feigning ignorance the new cool and hip way of being a smart ass? It seems it is, or is it?

    Comment by Anonymous

    No dumb questions. Only narrow-minded people.

    Comment by Anonymous
    14:46 28/01/2013 # ! Drivel (-1.0)

    You are a grown man living off your parents who declares he will never buy a TV once you get out there and start living like one. Sure. Sure.

    Have some shame, you tremendous embarrassment.

    Comment by Anonymous
    21:12 28/01/2013 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Lemme take a wild guess here, you must be an American.







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