LAS VEGAS - Aiming to more quickly grow consumer adoption of Ultra HD/4K, industry consortium UltraHD Alliance (UHDA) has announced what it calls a "single, identifying mark" for consumers to follow, the "Ultra HD Premium" logo.
Cooperatively cooked up over the last 12 months by UltraHD's constituency of film studios, consumer electronics makers, tech companies and video programming distributors, the new logo "is reserved for products and services that comply with performance metrics for resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), peak luminance, black levels and wide color gamut among others," the group said.
"The diverse group of UltraHD Alliance companies agreed that to realize the full potential of Ultra HD the specs need to go beyond resolution and address enhancements like HDR, expanded color and ultimately even immersive audio. Consumer testing confirmed this," said UHD Alliance President Hanno Basse. "The criteria established by this broad cross section of the Ultra HD ecosystem enables the delivery of a revolutionary in-home experience, and the Ultra HD Premium logo gives consumers a single, identifying mark to seek out so they can purchase with confidence."
Confidence among consumers is indeed an issue. While adoption of the higher resolution standard has quickened in regions like Canada, the U.S. market has been slow to cultivate consumer demand, not to mention commitment by content producers to make 4K programming.
Launched at last year's CES, the UHDA has grown to more than 35 companies. UHDA board members include executives from Dolby Laboratories, LG Electronics, Netflix, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation, Technicolor, The Walt Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment.
"As a long-time champion for 4K Ultra High-Definition TV, we applaud the efforts of the UHD Alliance to define a premium home entertainment experience across the UHD ecosystem," said Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Technology Association, in a statement. "CTA and the UHDA share the goal of helping consumers and retailers understand the incredible benefits of UHD technologies and services. The UHDA's new 'Ultra HD Premium' specs complement CTA's new guideline for HDR-compatible displays. Both will help consumers and retailers navigate the rapidly growing 4K UHD marketplace."
For more:
- read this UltraHD Alliance press release
- read this Consumer Technology Association press release
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