Consumer Electronics Association Dubs 4K Resolution 'Ultra HD'

The Consumer Electronics Association (News - Alert) recently issued a release stating that the next generation of high-definition television, which goes beyond the now standard 1080p resolution, is to be called "Ultra High Definition” – or “Ultra HD” for short.

Ultra HD TVs were previously referred to as "4K" resolution TVs, as they boast eight million pixels of resolution – four times that of 1080p. In other words, for a set to qualify as Ultra HD, its display resolution must meet or exceed 3,840 pixels horizontally, with at least 2,160 pixels vertically.

CEA's board of industry leaders unanimously voted last week to endorse the consensus opinion of its 4K Working Group, which recommended the term Ultra High Definition and the attributes that qualify that title. The name and minimum resolution are meant to help consumers and retailers understand the attributes of the next generation of television, expected to begin rolling out widely in the final quarter of 2012.

"Under CEA's leadership, the Ultra HD Working Group spent the majority of the summer meeting and discussing how to bring this technology to market," said CEA Ultra HD Working Group chairman Gary Yacoubian, president and CEO at Specialty Technology/SVS. "We discussed and debated two important steps, the name and recommended attributes, in a forum that allowed a variety of key stakeholders, manufacturers, retailers, broadcasters and Hollywood professionals to lend their voices. As we educate and raise awareness among consumers, I look forward to working with our robust committee to pave the way for a successful rollout of Ultra HD."

There are currently only a handful of products on the market which can be defined as sporting Ultra HD resolution. But major manufacturers such as LG and Sony have embraced the new resolution, meaning consumers are likely to see a flood of these next generation televisions in the next year.

As always, however, consumers will have to shell out a premium for technology not widely supported by content makers. A Sony 84-inch Ultra HD television slated to be released by Christmas, for example, is to be priced at $25,000 before tax.