Is UHDTV the Next Big Thing in HDTV?

The 2011 CES will likely show more large screen Ultra High Definition (UHD) displays with amazingly sharp detail on exhibit like at last year’s LG and Panasonic booths. But before your head starts to spin faster than a Dyson Vacuum about current LCD and Plasma HDTVs becoming obsolete, you can rest assured we probably won’t see UHD TVs in living rooms for another 10 years.Will 2160p Be the New 1080p?If you think HDTV looks sharp and super realistic, consider that 1920 x 1080 (1080p) will probably look like standard definition TV compared to UHD resolutions of 7680 x 4320 (8K) and 3840 x 2160 (4K). And if you thought 7.1 surround sound filled your room, how about 22.2 surround sound? Multiple speakers pointing in different directions can be placed inside a single enclosure.Recent Announcements Show Evidence of MovementAltera Corporation announced a single chip format converter that may help video processors like Vista System’s Spyder X20 provide dual 4K displays for a 3D UHD TV. Silicon Image Inc. announced the cineramIC-3D/4K video decoder that could add another building block to a highly integrated 4K UHD TV.UHD Delivery ServicesThe highly acclaimed Red One video camera can record 4K video at 30 fps. Getting 4K video into your home might take some advances in optical disc technology or fiber optics, which Verizon is actively trying to make happen with its FiOS network. In the meantime, an up-scaled Blu-ray might look pretty good on a 4K TV set .How Soon Will it Be Here?Estimates on how soon we’ll be able to watch UHD at home vary, but if the sea levels haven’t risen, and the earth is still habitable, you might be watching the 19th season of House in UHD in 2022 -possibly an earlier season. On the other hand, countries like Japan may see UHD TV sooner than some other countries like the United States.Read the full article here.