The high resolution of 8K screens means you can stand very close to them without seeing the individual pixels. Sharp has announced plans to sell an 8K television from October. Although several companies have developed "super hi‑vision" resolution test models, this is the first such TV to be made commercially available.

The 8K format provides 16 times as many pixels as 1080p high definition, creating an image so detailed it can appear three-dimensional. However, the 85‑inch (2.16 m) device's price of 16 million yen ($133,000; £86,000) is likely to limit sales. Interest is expected to come mainly from broadcasters and companies involved in testing the format.

One analyst suggested it would not become a serious proposition for the general public until the turn of the decade. "We're not expecting 8K TVs targeted at consumers to be released until at least 2016, and we don't expect they will cross one million units until after 2019," said Abhi Mallick of IHS Technology. "Japan's NHK is the only broadcaster so far to announce plans to create and broadcast 8K content."

He added that the relatively small size of homes in Japan might mean many families would not be interested. Japan is a region where the average size of TVs sold tends to be smaller, and the minimum size 8K TVs would likely be sold at is 65 inches. He added that, for the time being, manufacturers are expected to focus on convincing families to buy 4K sets instead. 4K TVs offer about four times the number of pixels of 1080p HD sets, but only a quarter as many as 8K TVs, and are being made in sizes of up to about 100 inches to create "cinema-like" home experiences.

Due to technological restraints, owners of Sharp's LV-85001 will have to use workarounds to take advantage of its full capabilities. Its built-in TV tuner cannot receive broadcasts in 8K; instead, video must be fed via four separate HDMI cables to handle the required data bandwidth. The resulting image delivers 104 pixels per inch—about a fifth of the density of modern high-end smartphone displays, but enough to read small text or make out intricate details when standing close to the screen. While 8K content and cameras are still rare, the Japanese site AV Watch, which first reported Sharp's TV, suggested the product could be used in hospitals to give keyhole surgeons better imagery. Canon recently revealed it had an 8K video camera in development. Each frame would contain the same detail as a 33.2-megapixel photo. Another expert suggested the tech might appeal to marketers. "The attraction will be for commercial applications - video walls and things like that," said Chris Green, a tech consultant at Davies Murphy Group. "8K screens could offer a very interesting video alternative to today's shop window and billboard displays - which show static advertising - because their extreme clarity means they can show lots of text and would be as readable as a poster."

Japan v China

Japan's NHK streamed live 8K footage from last year's World Cup in Brazil and intends to begin public tests of the format over satellite in 2016. The corporation plans to show all of Tokyo's 2020 Olympic Games in 8K and begin regular broadcasts in super hi-vision resolution the same year.

However, IHS Technology believes it could be China that drives initial demand for the technology. "China has had the fastest adoption of 4K televisions in the world - there is a demographic there of higher income consumers who want to buy TVs that will impress their neighbours," said Mr Mallick. "That's often regardless of whether they can accept the content." Many of the early 4K TVs shipped to China lacked HDMI 2.0 ports, so they could not receive 4K content that later became available from set-top boxes. Japanese electronics company Sharp plans to release the world's first commercially available 8K television in October; it will cost 16 million yen (about $133,000). 8K refers to the television's resolution, which is even sharper than 4K (ultra-high definition). 8K delivers 16 times the resolution of full HD. Sharp says the TV will go on sale on October 30 and will be an 85-inch set.