FEATURE: 4K
a 50/60 frame rate with 10-12 bit deep colour,” he says. “4K resolution can still be achieved using a 1.4 HDMI cable, but that reduces the frame rate to 30/24 frames per second. HDMI 1.4 can be upgraded to achieve a frame rate of 60fps, but this reduces the colour ratio to 4:2:0.” “As well as the bandwidth
challenge, there’s the plug technology challenge,” adds Facon. “The technology for signal management in input or output is only barely available to many manufacturers. HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2 are not easy to implement. This is slowing the uptake of 4K resolution in the pro-AV corporate market. Norms and standards are always ahead of electronic components.” The $64 million question is, of course: “To what extent is 4K technology deployable today?” The answer depends on who you talk to – and what you mean by 4K.
‘4K is still a technology for early adopters’ Nick Mawer, Kramer
Electronics
QUICK SOLUTIONS “4K is now being deployed as UHD, which is arguably not really 4K because it has neither the frame rate nor the colour performance of ‘real’ 4K,” opines Fliss, who notes the importance of the consumer market for 4K in driving infrastructure. “Since bandwidth requirements are lower with 4K UHD, there are many options for manufacturers to create quick solutions using HDMI 1.4. Today there are no fully developed systems that can be used in pro-AV installations
that fully support 4K 60Hz applications. We’re using reduced frame rates and refresh in order to squeeze the bandwidth into the current technologies. Most manufacturers are planning for HDMI 2.0, but full 4K silicon chipsets are not yet available, so complete solutions may still be some time away.” “Like most transitions, the
hype has come in advance of the delivery,” smiles Schripsema. “We’re just beginning to see all types of infrastructure products available in 4K configurations – switchers, distribution amplifiers, scalers, extenders and so on – the chipsets to build the hardware to reliably manage the signals have only become available in recent months.” Atlona recently announced the AT-UHD- CLSO-612 up/down scaler supporting 4K sources and displays.
“The major IC
manufacturers are working hard on this,” agrees Watts, “and the next 18 months should see the infrastructure challenge solved.” The last word goes to Nick
Mawer, UK marketing manager at Kramer Electronics. “4K is,”
AptoVision’s BlueRiver NT chipset enables the transmission and switching of real-time, uncompressed Ultra-HD AV signals with zero-frame latency over Ethernet switches
he says, “still a technology for early adopters.” 4K, then, is deployable – after a fashion. But 4K with all its bells and whistles is a little further away. Surprisingly, electric cars have been around since the 19th century – and the infrastructure to support them is still in its infancy. It seems that ‘real’ 4K technology is likely to benefit from the necessary infrastructure to
achieve substantial market penetration in a somewhat shorter time.
www.amx.com www.analogway.com www.aptovision.com www.atlona.com www.cabletime.com www.cie-group.com www.crestron.com www.gefen.com www.kramerelectronics.com www.rgb.com www.tvone.com
26 July 2014
www.installation-international.com
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