Japanese EBU Associate Member, NHK, has showcased its Super High Vision technology, also known as Ultra High Definition television, during a decisive weeklong meeting in Geneva, which could shape the future of television technology for the world. EBU Members the RAI and the BBC are also involved in the discussion about UHDTV.

The NHK team shipped two 85-inch LCD screens, 22.2 channel sound speaker columns, and all other necessary hardware  to the International Telecoms Union headquarters, so delegates and members of the press could witness the breathtaking quality of Ultra High Definition TV.

EBU Deputy Director, Technology and Development, David Wood, who chairs the ITU Working Group focused on UHDTV, presented the demonstration to press, photographers and audio experts, along with the NHK team.

He said: "This technology is fantastic, but we can't just throw a switch and have it in people's homes overnight.  Today's high definition television has four or five times the detail of a standard TV picture. This form of UHDTV contains over 16 times the pixels of a high definition Image, that is, 64 times that of standard television. It will require some time to work out how to get it into our homes."

The BBC plans to shoot some of the 2012 Olympic Games in UHDTV, to be shown in selected venues. NHK hopes to make the first trial broadcasts in UHDTV in Japan in 2020, but there is no question that it will be worth the wait.