Still haven’t upgraded even your home displays to 4K yet? No problem, the Video Electronics Standards Association has introduced the Embedded DisplayPort 1.4a video transfer format which allows for 8K streams on laptops. In effect it’s allows 8K streams to be compressed into the same video feed that current 4K displays use. The compression is efficient enough to cram a resolution up to 7680 x 4320 (8K) through the current data paths.
In truth you don’t need to be worried about 8K mobile displays landing on your doorstep any time soon. It is however now on the horizon as it is now physically possible on a laptop. In the near future, it is more likely this new format will allow for better compression of 4K streams and possibly allow for better battery life since fewer data paths will be needed. If this tech interests you look for it to hit shelves by 2016.
Source Gizmodo | News Archive