NHK to Host 8K Showcase at MIPCOM

The Japanese public broadcaster NHK is organizing a series of screenings and talks on ultra-high-definition 8K video at MIPCOM as part of the showcase “Live the Story: NHK 8K.”

The screenings will feature the international premiere of a dramatization of Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel An Artist of the Floating World in 8K HDR (high dynamic range), a medium ideally suited for bringing the nuances of the artist’s world into sharp focus. Japanese actor Ken Watanabe will be on hand to share his experience of playing the lead role.

Another highlight will be NHK’s 8K Talks sessions involving international producers who have partnered with NHK, plus the opportunity to see the resulting 8K content. These sessions will highlight the transformation of 8K production, which until recently has been seen as requiring huge commitments of equipment and money. The sessions will turn the spotlight on 8K production in China, as well as in music and art, two of the first genres to use 8K, and in natural history and science.

To stage the ultra-HD showcase, MIPCOM is for the first time hosting the NHK 8K Theater, complete with a 248-inch 8K screen and a 22.2 multichannel sound system.

NHK launched the world’s first 8K channel in 2018. The public broadcaster plans to broadcast the 2020 Olympic Games from Tokyo in 8K, in an historic first.

Yukinori Kida, NHK’s executive director of broadcasting, said: “8K has mostly gained attention for the exceptional quality of its images and sound. By working with international creators, I have come to believe that 8K HDR is a tool for enhancing viewers’ sensory and emotional perception. It offers a new way of storytelling—one that creates the ultimate immersive viewing experience.”