UHD touted as the new video standard

Major television manufacturers, movie studios and streaming video services have joined together hoping to show that 4K ultra high definition (UHD) television is not a gimmick like its 3D predecessor and is here to stay.

UHD video has four times the number of pixels as regular 1080p high definition (HD) for a much clearer picture for large-screen TVs. But it has struggled to take off as the next standard for video, movies and television due to high prices and the limited available content, while early consumers were left bruised after the abysmal letdown of the much-heralded 3D TV.

Now Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, LG and Sharp, plus Netflix and movie studios Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers and Disney have united to form the UHD Alliance to push the adoption of 4K video and help cement it as the next video standard. "The alliance is confirmation that 4K is a technology that is going to be around for some time to come. That it is the next logical step up from full HD," said Paul O'Donovan, who is principal analyst with tech industry consultants Gartner.

"Unlike 3D, which is and always has been a gimmick, the industry is saying, 'Trust us, we are taking the TV industry forward with 4K.' I think that's important for consumers to understand," he said.

The cost of 4K TVs is coming down from the highs of US$6,000 or more, and models are expected to be available for well under US$1,500 next year.

Every major television manufacturer is launching extended ranges of the new TVs at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week. Gartner predicts that at least 30 per cent of all TVs manufactured will be 4K by 2018.