Industry gets together to figure out what “Ultra HD” actually means
Expect to see the phrase “Ultra HD” popping up more often in the future – not just because TVs and phones are getting more highly defined, but because it might actually mean something. Several major technology and content companies have formed the “Ultra HD Alliance”, aiming to set standards for 4K and beyond.
Until now, “Ultra HD” has been pretty unpredictable – with some companies using it to describe, say, 4x720p instead of 4x1080p (what has become known as 4K), so the agreement between companies like Samsung, Sony, LG, Netflix, Disney and 20th Century Fox (amongst many others) should make things easier for consumers.
Apparently the new standards will “support innovation in video technologies including 4K and higher resolutions, high dynamic range, wider colour range and immersive 3D audio”.
The upshot of it is that there still might be some hope for cross-compatibility across next generation products, meaning you’ll still be able to plug your Samsung speakers into your Sony telly for instance. Hurrah!
