Are Quad HDTV Televisions The Future of High Definition Television?

Advancements and new formats in the world of television are nothing new and when it comes to HDTV televisions we can expect a phenomenon similar to computers, where new higher spec components are developed all the time.

If you have been following news about high definition televisions you should have noticed by now that in a considerable short amount of time many new ATSC formats were introduced. Some time ago 720p ruled the market then, it was 1080i and eventually the market was filled with 1080p hdtv televisions that are most of the time referred to as “Full HD sets”.

Recently manufacturers started to announce the birth of yet another HD resolution this time its 2160p. A 2160p HD resolution is able to display 2160 horizontal scan lines using progressive scanning technology and 3840 vertical scan lines. If we multiply this factors we can get the approximate amount of pixels that are displayed in this resolution. 3840×2160 = 8,294,400 pixels.  Compared to the amount of pixels that are displayed in a 1080p HDTV resolution (2,073,600 pixels), 2160p  has four times the resolution of the now standard 1080p (Full HD) resolution.

For this reason it is referred to as “Quad HDTV” or “Quad HD” depending on the source. While there are no sets on the market that are able to display this resolution as of now, some prototype models have been appearing in electronics conventions and there are rumors that say that 2160p HDTV televisions will hit the market in 2010. How this resolution will impact the market is something only the future will tell but, expect extremely high prices on the first models released and the usual lack of third party support during the 2160p’s first months.

Another question that will remain unanswered until the time comes is: How will the amount of bandwidth necessary to broadcast such a high resolution affect cable, satellite tv and Over the Air broadcasts? No to mention if a newer media format will have to be developed to watch long films that are longer than 3 hours. Will Dual Layer Blu-Rays take the load?

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