A digital video format developed by Japanese broadcaster NHK, Super Hi-Vision has a resolution of 7680-by-4320 pixels and 22.2-multichannel surround sound. It's also known as 8K, 4320p, and UHDTV.
Super Hi-Vision trials aren't new--NHK, in fact, has been testing the TV format --but the London Olympics is the most high-profile test of the technology to date.
"Experienced on a big screen, the effect is of feeling like actually being at an event," writes Tim Plyming, the BBC executive leading the Super Hi-Vision project, in a Monday post on the .
A crew made up of BBC and NHK staff will use the world's only Super Hi-Vision equipment to shoot a variety of sporting events at the Olympic Stadium, Aquatic Centre, Velodrome and Basketball Arena, as well as live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies.
What's the best way to experience the London Olympics in Super Hi-Vision? You can't rush out and buy an 8K TVs, of course, and your viewing options will be limited to three public viewing theaters in the UK: BBC Broadcasting House in London; BBC Pacific Quay in Glasgow; and National Media Museum in Bradford.