When do you suppose 8K will be available?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Suntory_Times

I wonder if people in this thread know that watching a film in 4k from reference as per SMPTE and THX standards actually goes beyond humans ability to see...

Say What?

If you’re indicating that people don’t have the ability to see 4k detail at as far away as 3 screen heights then you’re absolutely wrong. Even old SMPTE standard EG-18-1994 had the viewing angle from the back of the room being ~ 30 degrees (the screen subtends ~30 degrees at your eye) which works out to a viewing distance of 1.87 x picture width or ~3.3 screen heights from screen to eye.

Now…video engineers (a lot in SMPTE) like to think/use the basis for maximal visual acuity as being that humans can see detail up to 1 min. of arc because that is what a letter chart like Snellen is based upon and its convenient as hell for them to extrapolate from there, despite the fact that those trained in vision science know that humans can actually ‘see’ BETTER than one minute of arc…. http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~salmonto/v.../Lecture21.pdf
That is fact, even though the concept of Vernier (hyperacuity) may be more difficult for video engineers to extrapolate to video displays with regards to viewing distances. For those not understanding, in simplistic terms, people with “normal” or 20/20 vision (which equates to one min. of arc), in reality, actually ‘see’ better than 20/20, given normal non-aging brain function, the absence of cataract formation which could cause decreased contrast sensitivity, etc.

But, let’s just stick with the one min. of arc criteria in order to keep things as simple and conservative as possible. So, based upon that one arc min criteria, which SMPTE used, you need a pixel density of at least ~ 3700 pixels across in order to display all visible detail that humans can perceive (based on Snellen 20/20). UHD/4K tvs provide a tiny bit more than enough (3840 pixels across).

So anyway, how does this all translate for the non-mathematically inclined? Based on the most conservative estimate for 20/20 visual acuity and not taking into account what happens beyond the retina in humans (i.e. the brain), humans have “the ability to see the difference between 4K detail and 1080p detail 8.5 ft. from a 55” screen or 8.7ft. from a 56” screen, etc.

Results from independent professional lab scientific (https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...=9#post9504489)
as well as large sample consumer testing http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/4k-re...1312153517.htm have corroborated this science. Of note, the professional lab study did not test for distances beyond 2.7m (~9ft.), so it’s unproven if their observers’ could have differentiated the 4K captured and displayed material at greater distances, if tested. I presume; likewise, the consumer testing didn’t test for distances beyond 9ft. but you’d have to inquire with them for confirmation.

Obviously, if one moves closer to the screen than noted above its ‘easier’ to see the detail, just like its ‘easier’ to read all the letters from a 20/20 line off a wall chart 10ft. away from it rather than 20ft. away; plus, with dramatic video content the observer gets a greater “sense of being there and the sense of realness”, as NHK terms it, with said *immersive-ness* providing an additional benefit which doesn’t seem to bother folks like mj who seem to enjoy getting as close as they can to the TV screen. Nothing wrong with that as it’s an individual preference.

P.S.
I wonder since I’ve been absent if cannabis went on the fast track to legalization in Australia?