Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has developed single cable and connector solution that enable the transmission of uncompressed full-spec 8K video signals.

Currently, to transmit video signal via connector-equipped cables from an 8K signal source or other devices to an 8K display, 4K-equivalent images are transmitted using four HDMI cables, and then they are combined to show in 8K resolution by using image processing. Panasonic’s newly-developed connector-equipped cable, which uses plastic optical fiber technology, can achieve the transmission of full-spec 8K video via a single cable, with improved bandwidth and length.

High-speed transmission over optical fiber connector can be achieved when the optical axes are completely aligned. However, when the equipment and the cable’s connection portions are detachable, it is difficult to precisely align optical axes at the connection, leading to poor connectivity and other defects. That has hampered the deployment of optical fiber cables in video transmission cables with detachable connectors.

Working with KAI Photonics Co., Ltd., a venture from Japan’s Keio University, Panasonic developed connector-equipped cables that adopt “plastic optical fiber and its connection technology using ballpoint-pen type interconnect*2.” Further, by applying Panasonic’s technology for the multi-level modulation of broadband signals, a transmission bandwidth exceeding 100 Gbps was achieved with a single cable.

Panasonic’s 8K gear is here.