Another check box on the Future of Television prediction list...
When I helped to put together the SMPTE/EBU Task Force On Digital Image
Architecture report, way back in 1992, we proposed the idea of a digital image
architecture based on constant sized “tiles” with increasing resolution for
different applications and viewing distances. Here is a section of that report
- sorry, but I do not have a link to the figures in this quote:
5.3.2 Construction of Displays from Tiles of the Appropriate Resolution
The table in Figure 5.3 provides a matrix of display aspect ratios and
resolutions that can be derived from the full set of 32 x 32 tiles at each
level. Since the tile size is a constant, each column represents a constant
size display at four perceived levels of resolution.
The diagram in Figure 5.3 establishes several important relationships that
provide a bridge to the past and illustrate how interoperability can be
achieved:
Region A (4:3) shows the relative spatial resolution of 525 line systems.
Region B (4:3) show the relative spatial resolution of 625 line systems.
Region C (16:9) is representative of the display that most industry observers
expect will be used in the next generation of home entertainment systems.
Region D (4:3) is commonly used in computer and entertainment systems. It
allows the incorporation of regions A, B, and C, which correspond to
traditional video and film aspect ratios, along with additional areas for the
display of Graphical User Interface (GUI) elements. It is important to note
that the 1024 x 768 and 640 x 480 resolutions - shown for level 2 - are both
popular display resolutions for personal computer systems.
Region E (1:1) is emerging as a new display aspect ratio for certain
applications. The FAA recently began procurement of 2048 x 2048 square pixel,
progressive scan CRT displays for air traffic control systems.
The tile concept can similarly be applied to the manufacture of displays. In
this case, a physical display tile would correspond to a conceptual tile and
would have different physical sizes for different size displays and different
pixel densities for different resolution requirements. Similarly, displays of
different aspect ratios could be constructed by the selection of the
appropriate conceptual tiles as shown in Figure 5.3.
Thus, using tiles and only four resolution levels, it is possible to construct
a display for virtually every possible application; furthermore this display
can also be used to show imagery from other levels of the hierarchy. This is
especially practical if a scalable coding architecture is implemented that
conforms to the same resolution progression.
——————
Note the paragraph above on display construction.
Now read this from another article on the technology at CES:
https://www.ubergizmo.com/2019/01/samsung-micro-led-tv/
Samsung Micro-LED Technology Update: A Rising Threat To OLED’s Domination
At CES 2019, an updated version of Samsung’s Micro-LED technology was presented
in the form of a 4K 75-inch television concept, which is built with a grid of
64 (8×8) sub-modules connected seamlessly. That TV proves that Micro-LED can be
adapted to consumer electronics and expand its footprint from today’s
commercial display business.
.....
It is important to understand that Samsung’s Micro-LED technology has been
designed from the ground up to work by assembling small display modules as
tiles, to form any desired screen size, with any aspect ratio. This LEGO-like
approach is visionary and will pay huge dividends once the technology is
mass-produced.
——-
This brings back memories of many debates that Bert and I had regarding HDTV
screen resolutions and aspect ratios. Bert was hopelessly locked into the TV
industry “party line” that a broadcast system must have one screen aspect
ratio, even as we moved to a hierarchy of image format resolutions.
History will note that image aspect ratios (other than for broadcast TV) are
now completely arbitrary. Hollywood told the TV lemmings where to stick it, and
continued to offer motion pictures is many different aspect ratios, then moved
to digital projection systems that adapte to the desired aspect ratio. We now
expect our screens to accommodate ANY image aspect ratio, at any source
resolution, or subset thereof.
All of this was entirely predictable almost three decades ago!
Regards
Craig