By Duncan Mackay at the Hotel Okura in Tokyo

Ultra high definition television swimmingMarch 2 - Japan plans to show that holding the Olympics and Paralympics here in 2020 would be the most technologically advanced in history by demonstrating new cutting-edge "8k" ultra high definition television to the team of inspectors who are here to assess their bid. 


The country's Communications Ministry is planning to show the technology to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission, headed by Britain's Sir Craig Reedie, who are due to officially begin their visit to the Japanese capital on Monday (March 4).

Broadcasts in 8K will offer a resolution of 7,680 by 4,320 pixels - roughly the equivalent of a 32 megapixel photo, which is believed to be at the limit of what the human eye can process.

That is 16 times as sharp as current high-definition television offering about 2MP resolutions.

Japanese broadcaster NHK - in partnership with the BBC - showed off the technology in London during the Olympics last year, where audiences claimed it gave them a sense of being at the events.

The picture was so precise, it was claimed, that one could view a shot inside the Olympic Stadium that appeared to be three dimensional and contained stunning detail.

The firm has developed three cameras that can capture the higher resolution - which it calls Super Hi-Vision - at 60 frames per second but aims to double that to 120 frames per second.

By contrast the BBC currently normally broadcasts high definition television programmes at 25 fps.

NHK has used a 145-inch (3.7 metre) prototype display co-developed with Olympic TOP sponsor Panasonic to show off its footage at London 2012.

NHK cameramen at London 2012A team from NNK carried out advance tests of the new technology at London 2012

The Japanese Government are supporting a number initiatives aimed at helping the nation's huge consumer electronics sector and plans the full introduction of 4K broadcasts in July 2014 to coincide with the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, which would put it two years ahead of the rest of the world. 

They then hope to begin extensive testing 8K broadcasts in 2016 at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, four years ahead of schedule.

A team from NHK last month carried out a test of the technolgy at the Rio Carnival in partnership with Brazil's TV Globo.

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