If nothing changes, in March 2023 8K televisions (7,680 by 4,320 pixels), the most advanced on the market, could come off the European shelves. for violating an energy standard.
The reason for the ban on these screens is that the European Commission has set a scale – a set of energy consumption standards – that none of them will be able to meet, for what it means. a de facto veto after being on the market since 2018.
The ban on 8K and Micro LED technology – few models on the market due to its still high cost, but considered the technology of the future – derives from the calculation of the energy efficiency index (IEE) that the European Commission has set for televisions starting from next year.
The prediction right now is that both types of screens are expected to consume the same power as those with UHD (4K) resolution by March 1, 2023.
The IEE, the labels with colored bars that accompany large appliances, is measured, in the case of televisions, by the consumption per pixel – point of light – that each screen has.
The scales were set by the European Executive from the models of the years 2012 to 2017, when the 8K did not exist.
Therefore, the maximum IEE for HD screens (2,138,400 pixels) and up to UHD / 4K (8,294,400 pixels) is the same, 0.90. What about higher resolution screens? Even 0.90. 8K has over 33 million pixels.
When the latest regulation on screens was approved in October 2019, the text indicated that conditions would be reviewed “in the light of technological progress” and a new proposal would be presented, “by December 25, 2022”. that review, at the moment it does not exist.
The association that integrates the 8K industry released a statement on Friday stating that if all goes as planned, the new European regulations “will have consequences” that will affect “television manufacturers and its supplier partners, as well as integrators of the EU professional and consumer markets ”.
There are two reasons why an 8K TV consumes more power than a 4K. Having four times as many and smaller light points, the power required to achieve the same luminance is greater.
It happens with both the QLED type and the OLED ones. Also, since there is currently no commercial content with this definition, 8K TVs have to “fill in” the difference between the points in the picture and those on their screens through complex video processing using artificial intelligence. The result is spectacular, but it consumes more energy.
8K, without its own content
One of the first discussions that ignites the 8K debate is always the fact that no TV provider broadcasts content with that definition. It’s true. But the new format proposal makes sense.
One of the big trends in the television market is the fact that consumers want bigger and bigger screens. What hasn’t changed is the space they are in. With four times the resolution of 4K, 8K makes image points at relatively close range more indistinguishable.
The big picture difference 8K TVs bring is their outstanding image processing via artificial intelligence. The screen receives an image in one format and fills in the missing points as if redefining it again. In many cases, the result appears to be better than the original.
With information from La Vanguardia.
SL
Source: Clarin
