NHK might bring forward its schedule for conducting experimental broadcasts of a new ultra-high-definition TV standard to 2016, sources said Saturday.
The broadcaster is shooting to have a full-scale service under way before the 2020 Summer Olympics, which could be held in Tokyo. But commercialization hinges on clearing high technological hurdles, as well as securing commitments from other broadcasters to produce a broad range of programs in the new format.
The government is keen on advancing the schedule because a new superior indigenous technology could boost the prospects of Japan's ailing electronics makers, which are rapidly losing ground to competitors from South Korea and other countries.