In a context where internet traffic grew by up to 60% and where 25% of consumers claim to have added a streaming service to their TV, 8K technology is gaining ground and consolidating itself in the global market.

In recent months, entertainment offerings have undergone an unprecedented transformation. If, on the one hand, isolation deprived us of a series of routine activities, on the other, it has caused streaming and consumption of digital content to skyrocket without prior notice, which translates into an immediate increase of 25% to 35% of Internet traffic in the world between mid-March and April, according to a survey by Netscout1. The traffic analysis of 20 ISPs (Internet Service Provider) in Latin America shows the most surprising figures: Mexico had the highest growth, 73%, followed by Argentina with 60%, Brazil, 35%; Chile with 20% and Colombia with a traffic increase of 13%.

With the increase in the consumption of online content, people also began to bring images from the most diverse sources to their televisions. More than 25% of consumers said they added at least one streaming service to the home entertainment menu in recent months. The Kantar2 report points to another trend of the period: the phenomenon of lives. Of the 216 events of this type analyzed on the weekends between April 25 and May 31, the study found that the lives that had their content transmitted in other media in addition to the digital medium had a 2.6 times greater impact.

In this context, in which the need for social interaction through the digital medium has driven the use of technology for leisure3, 8K content is more relevant by providing a truly immersive experience. Platforms that gained audiences in this period, such as YouTube and Vimeo, already display videos in this resolution – which should become even more frequent with the new resources available and the increased demand for extremely high image quality.

The need for greater social interaction through digital channels has led to other changes in entertainment, such as in the video game segment, where platforms such as Twitch, Mixer and YouTube games have received double the traffic since the beginning of the year4. In May, gaming consultancy Newzoo published a report showing that social isolation has brought short-term gains to the gaming industry as a whole – console game sales are expected to grow 6.8% to $45 billion in revenue this year, reaching 729 million players.

And, thanks to the demand for an increasingly immersive experience, the next generation of video game consoles is expected to further boost the production of 8K material. Sony and Microsoft have already confirmed that their new releases, PlayStation55 and Xbox Series 106, will support 8K graphics. With that, the entire game production chain will go through the resolution update. And the same artificial intelligence that is used today in 8K TVs to enhance content and fill the 33 million pixels, leaving lower resolution images as close to 8K as possible, can be used to make the gaming experience smoother.

If manufacturers of equipment for image capture and transmission already have several specific solutions, consumers also already have cameras from different brands, and even smartphones that record 8K videos, such as the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note20, launched this year by Samsung. The brand, by the way, has been the first to bring an 8K television to Latin America and recently participated in yet another exhibition of its 8K ecosystem when it became an official partner of the first 'virtual' Notting Hill Carnival. The short films were created using the features of the Galaxy S20 and the line of QLED 8K TVs, which will launch the Carnival and drive viewers to tune in to the event's official website.

It is worth mentioning that, even before social isolation, sports competitions, recitals and large events were already seeking high-resolution transmissions. Last year, live streaming of 8K content underwent a notable test: France Télévisions, a French public service broadcaster broadcast the Rolland Garros tennis tournament in this resolution. The successful demonstration proved that the fifth-generation network can be used to deliver exceptional video quality.

The fact is that the proven advantage of digital content distribution, regardless of platform, works as a big boost to 8K. With people becoming more accustomed to seeing the world reproduced in extremely high quality, offering content in this resolution is imperative, not only for movie and game producers, but for the entire entertainment industry. And if anyone still believes that watching content in 8K is a privilege today, it's worth remembering that 4K went through this same evolution before it became known. And, from what everything indicates, the evolution to 8K will be even more accelerated.

By Celso Barros – Samsung Regional Product Manager of Visual Display for Latin America.