NHK to Bring World’s First 8K Broadcasting Service

NHK will launch two new channels, NHK BS4K and NHK BS8K, on December 1st. NHK has been developing ultra-high definition 8K image systems since 1995 and NHK BS8K will be the world’s first 8K channel. The content will be further enhanced and facilities installed to target full-scale dissemination by the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic year of 2020.

NHK BS8K is positioned as the flagship channel for enjoying the highest quality visual images, 22.2 channel audio, and most attractive content as well. The programs will provide viewers with a sense of full immersion in each scene, imparting the feeling of presence in the stadium or concert hall, or gazing directly upon the actual masterpieces at an art museum.

The music programs will include concerts by three of the world’s greatest orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic. Art broadcasts will feature masterpieces of the Louvre and the works of Katsushika Hokusai. The core content will also include TV dramas and nature programs and, in cooperation with NASA, scenes of the Earth shot from the International Space Station (ISS).