Sky is deep in a testing phase for 4K, with the broadcast giant laying claim to making the first Ultra HD live broadcast in the UK when it shows a Premier League football match today.
TechRadar will be present for a landmark test for Sky as it continues trials of the 4K resolution, with West Ham's match against Stoke City being given the Ultra HD treatment.
Ultra HD, or 4K, is the next generation of television, offering up a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 - some four times as many pixels as Full HD 1080p.
Unlike much of the recent TV gimmickry, 4K offers up tangible improvements to viewing, with the extra resolution providing a jaw-droppingly sharp picture.
Resolutionary
The Olympic opening ceremony in 2012 was broadcast in 4K in select cinemas but apparently through a closed network, whereas Sky's first live Ultra HD claim is based on running the test on its existing infrastructure.
Want more details? Well the content is filmed with 4 Sony F55 UHD cameras, while there are two UHD EVS servers for replay and graphics.
Sky is also using a purpose-built outside broadcast truck, in conjunction with Sony and Telegenic, and will show the content on Sony's 84-inch Ultra HD TV.
The future of TV
Although 4K televisions are now going on sale, content that is filmed at the higher resolution is thin on the ground, so the news that the likes of Sky are looking seriously at the technology is welcome.
The UK broadcaster has been a major innovator for television, rolling out HD channels and 3D early in each technology's life.
The company has made it clear that the current tests are not a guarantee that it will broadcast in 4K, although its track record always made it likely it would trial the technology.
We'll be bringing you a full behind-the-scenes look at the 4K technology on show in Sky's Osterley HQ and our impressions of how live sport shapes up when there are many more pixels on screen than fans at all of the league games put together.
