The ABU-RAI Days forum in Rome has watched a demonstration from Japan’s public broadcaster NHK on the latest equipment for 8K high-quality video.

NHK’s Takeshi Shibasaki said an 8K camera was now small, light and cost only $5,000.

“The 8K production environment has changed in the past year or two. It is much easier and cheaper,” he said “Now it is as easy as 2K and 4K production. Costs can be kept low.”

Viewing 8K was now also much cheaper, he said. 8K TVs in Japan cost only $1,800 and 12 million sets had been sold.

Content could be played on desktop PCs and stored on USB sticks, he said, and there was a YouTube 8K content channel with lots of content available.

Mr Takeshi invited ABU members who wanted to develop their 8K content and production skills to work with NHK in co-productions.