Will 2014 Be the Year of 4K?

Creatvie COW by Debra Kaufman

What will 2014 hold for the advancement of 4K? If the recent IBC 2013 in Amsterdam is any indication, 4K technology, for TV and film, is here to stay. Skeptics can point out that, not long ago, 3D was the darling of new technologies. But it's worth noting that, though stereo 3D is out of favor, it hasn't disappeared, still a go-to technology for Hollywood blockbusters like Gravity and restorations (see Jaws and The Wizard of Oz).

IBC 2013 pushed 4K down the road, with 4K TV distribution demonstrations and partnerships, new cameras and other new products. Prognosticators can now set their sights on NAB 2014, but all signs point to higher resolution 2014.

NEW 4K CAMERAS
With the RED Epic, Canon Cinema EOS C500, Blackmagic Design's 4K Production Camera, and Sony CineAlta F65 (at 8K) and CineAlta F55, there is no shortage of 4K cameras. But now there are more of them. At IBC 2013, Sony unveiled two new 4K cameras aimed at cost-effective 4K production, and Panasonic released more details about the upcoming 4K VariCam.

Sony unveiled two new cameras at the prosumer/consumer end of the spectrum: the PXW-Z100, an entry-level professional camcorder priced at under $6,500 that offers image sampling at 4:2:2 10-bit is a ½-inch single sensor 4K camcorder with a fixed 20x lens. The PXW-Z100 relies on Sony's XAVC recording format (first used for the CineAlta F55) and uses MPEG-4 AVC/ H.264 compression for HD (1920x1080), QFHD (3840x2016) and 4K (4096Ã?2160) content. read more...