# LG Electronics showcases Ultra HD at NCAA Final Four



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

LG Electronics continues to push forward into the realm of 4K Ultra HDTV. Last fall the company became the first manufacturer to launch an Ultra HDTV in the United States. Now it has become the first manufacturer to display a major US sporting event in 4K resolution. This past weekend CBS and Turner Broadcasting, along with LG and the NCAA, joined forces to feature the power of Ultra HD’s future role in how US consumers watch and experience sports by recording and displaying highlights of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four games. The video highlights were shown during a closed-circuit demonstration in private viewing areas at the Georgia Dome, host to the 2013 Final Four. LG Electronic’s landmark viewing event comes more than a decade after CBS first aired the NCAA Final Four in HDTV to a national audience.

 

"The NCAA Men's Final Four is one of the most captivating events of the year, and we want to continue exploring ways to enhance the experience for our fans. Thanks to LG, Turner Sports and CBS Sports, we're seeing how Ultra HD has the potential to transform and elevate the television viewing experience for college sports fans," said Keith Martin, NCAA's Managing Director of Championships Marketing and Broadcast Alliances.

LG Electronics used it’s new 84-inch Ultra HDTV, which boasts a native resolution of 3840X2160 – greater than 8 million pixels – with LG’s LED Plus technology. Additionally, this 84” giant boasts a robust 2.2 sound system (two 10W speakers and two 15W subwoofers). This particular model currently has an MSRP of $19,999.

As captivating as this demonstration may be, consumers must be aware that 4K broadcast content is not currently available. As of today, most homes in the United States do not currently receive full 1080p from their service providers, let alone 720p material. This leads many to question the feasibility of delivering 4K content to homes in the foreseeable future due to available bandwith in the nation’s infrastructure.

Earlier this year, FCC Chairperson Julius Genachowski issued a “Gigabit City Challenge” to service providers, local, and state governments to begin laying the ground work for communities with ultra-fast internet speeds. If achieved, data transmissions of one gigabit per second would provide consumers with speeds nearly 100 times faster than today’s average high-speed connections.

Chairperson Genachowski said, “American economic history teaches a clear lesson about infrastructure. If we build it, innovation will come. The U.S. needs a critical mass of gigabit communities nationwide so that innovators can develop next-generation applications and services that will drive economic growth and global competitiveness.”

While these high rate data speeds, which will be needed to help feed content such as Utra High Definition sporting events to the homes of American consumers, seem to be a pipe-dream, some communities in the U.S. have already moved forward with installation. They include the Google Fiber Initiative in Kansas City which is providing gigabit service to homeowners in select areas of the city. Google plans to expand this initiative throughout other areas of Kansas City and eventually Austin, Texas. With initiatives like these, and others, perhaps the future of 4K content isn’t so distant after all.

_Image Credits: LG Electronics_


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

That is a good way to showcase the 4K technology. They need to keep the prices going down to realistic average Joe consumer price range!


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

No doubt about it. Pricing is already beginning to fall, though. Sony has announced offerings in the $5-7K range and common sense would dictate that other manufacturers will quickly follow suit. I have read speculation that prices could fall as low as $2-3K within two to three years.


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

That is good news. As prices fall, more will sell. I just hope more 4K content is available as time moves forward.


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