NHK Plans to Launch 8K Channel in December

TOKYO—Why do 4K when you can do 8K seems to be the strategy for Japanese public broadcaster NHK, which has announced that it intends to launch an 8K TV channel later this year.

NHK says that it will release the 8K compatible satellite broadcast channel on Dec. 1. The broadcaster claims that it will be the first 8K channel in the world.

However, if you can’t wait that long to experience 8K and you are able to head to this year’s South by Southwest Festival, then you can get a sneak preview of NHK’s 8K capabilities. NHK will host an 8K exhibit in the SXSW theater, which will showcase 2D and 3D musical experiences. The theater will reportedly project visuals onto a 200-inch screen and be accompanied by immersive 3D sound.

The 8K theater will be open to SXSW attendees starting from March 13 to March 15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To RSVP, contact Kosuke Tanabe at tanabe-ko@nhk-ep.co.jp.

The 2018 SXSW Festival takes place in Austin, Texas, from March 13-15.