Early reports from CES 2014 showed that this year might be the year of the humongously-big TV, with Samsung and Vizio both unveiling TV’s topping the 100-inch milestone. Of course, both TV’s feature the newest 4k technology, allowing one to view TV as one has never viewed it before.

That was until Sharp revealed their designs for an 85-inch, 8k television during their CES press conference. This is not the first time Sharp has unveiled an 85-inch 8k television, doing so during last year’s CES. The difference this year, however, is that the model is now less of a prototype / more of a reality, and it offers glasses-free, 3D viewing.

Sharp produced the 85-inch TV alongside Phillips and Dolby. The 8k rating for the TV means that it will be able to handle resolutions measuring 7680 x 4320, which is 16 times more than current, standard HD TV’s. (1080p resolutions being 1920 x 1080.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QawPm3E7bfE

That being said, the 85-inch 8k offering from Sharp may be stretching a bit beyond current technological carrying capacity. Much debate has been raised over the past few years concerning whether or not the eye can discern the differences between ultra-high resolutions. Most television producers are currently focusing on furthering the development of 4k resolution televisions (3840 x 2160), a viewing quality which already faces difficulties due to the lack of channel support (due to inadequate technology) from satellite or cable companies.

As it currently stands, most experts agree that one could only notice the increase in viewing quality with an 8k TV if one views it at uncomfortably close distances. If that is the case, the one positive aspect of this offering from Sharp would be the glasses-free (autostereoscopic) 3D viewing capabilities.

Fortunately for Sharp, the company has not placed all of its eggs into one basket. During CES 2014, the company also unveiled new products in its Aquos line, the most impressive of which being the Aquos Quattron Plus, a television offering 10 million more subpixels than standard HD televisions. These extra subpixels places the Aquos Quattron Plus at the level between standard HD and 4k, making it a viable viewing option for those with less-deep pockets and being more compatible with current cable and satellite provider technologies.

Images via YouTube