Japan Just Became the First Country to Broadcast TV in Stunning 8K Resolution

Japan’s NHK broadcaster is set to launch a new satellite channel that transmits a mix of 4K and 8K content from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., reported Inverse.

The updated resolution standard of 8K is a huge jump from 4K, which itself is currently, still in its infancy. Current media hardware (TVs, game consoles, media devices) and content providers (Netflix, Amazon) have yet to fully deliver 4K into the mainstream.

Most common resolution nowadays is still 1080p ( “full HD”), which means the screen has 1920×1080 pixels. 4K Ultra HD, on the other hand, is 3840×2160, which is already very visually impressive with the clarity of the picture it brings. Going 8K Ultra HD, that boasts of 7680×4320 pixels, would simply provide a totally awesome visual delight for its viewers, but may still take several years before the technology enters people’s homes.

Since the technology to watch NHK’s new channel at its fullest resolution at home is not even available for most viewers, NHK will have to improvise. According to PC World, the broadcasting firm will host public viewing areas around Japan to demonstrate the quality an 8K video can deliver.

The upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics, which  will kick off this weekend, will be the main content for the public broadcasts. Implementing 8K resolution has been in NHK’s future plan since it first tested the resolution way back in 2002. The current initiative is a way for the company to test the technology way ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which the company plans to broadcast in the best possible quality.