China's TV, online videos to be dominated by ultra-high-definition in 2 years: official

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China is set to make ultra-high-definition (UHD) the predominant format for television and online videos by 2026, the National Radio and Television Administration said on Friday.

The country plans to launch 13 new UHD TV channels by the end of 2025, bringing the total number to over 20. By 2026, an administration official said that 11 additional TV channels and over 50 percent of shows newly released via online streaming platforms will be presented in the UHD format.

China has emerged as a global leader in certain independent core technologies for UHD video and has prioritized accelerating UHD development as a key strategic task, according to the administration.

Currently, all central and provincial TV stations, along with over 98 percent of local channels, have implemented high-definition broadcasting. Additionally, nine UHD channels are available nationwide, the administration said.

The administration announced plans to encourage hotels to upgrade their TVs into UHD as part of the country's pro-growth program of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins this year.