higher power

What’s next in home-cinema tech…

Along with January’s Las Vegas-based tech bonanza CES, Berlin’s IFA is one of the world’s biggest gadget fests. The largest names in tech recently gathered on German soil to showcase the latest in home cinema – and it was 8K TV that stole the show…

wHat is 8K?

With 4K having pretty much taken over from High Definition (HD) as the current standard for large TVs, 8K is the next big leap. With a picture resolution of 7680x4320 pixels, 8K has four times as many pixels as 4K. And more pixels means better picture quality. So far, there isn’t really much 8K content, but early 8K TVs will be able to upscale HD and 4K images for a better picture.

How about HDR10+?

HDR10+ is a brand-new High Dynamic Range (HDR) format. HDR tech is designed to boost the colour and contrast on your TV to make the picture more realistic. Unlike its predecessor, HDR10, which only allows for an entire movie to be set at one level of brightness, HDR10+ permits filmmakers to vary the brightness, not just in each scene, but frame by frame.

The idea is you get to see the film just how the director intended. HDR10+ is a joint venture between Samsung, Panasonic and 20th Century Fox, and will go head to head with rival HDR format Dolby Vision. Libby Plummer