World's First 4K TV Broadcast Set For 2014 World Cup

In one of the smoothest and perhaps most irresistible measures made thus far for the new high definition television technology, Japan has announced that it will be broadcasting the 2014 World Cup in 4K. This means that everyone working with a 4K television by then (read: everyone with bottomless wallets) will be watching this Brazil-based sporting event inside Japan next year. So those of you with an entertainment establishment of any kind (sports bars, we're looking at you), you'll want to think about which model you want to pick up between here and then.

This announcement was made via the Asahi Times by the Japanese ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication and will also be marking the world's first official 4G television broadcast. It would appear that this move may have something to do with the fact that Japan has several major-label manufacturers of 4K TV sets inside its borders, but you never know. Panasonic, Toshiba, Sony, and Sharp may very possibly have something to do with this push.

While there are bits and pieces of 4K Optimized media in the wild like Total Recall (good luck finding a copy), you'll find that the current offerings from Hollywood and the like are still scant. This first broadcast will be pushed through Japan's communications satellites rather than direct broadcast satellites, the second option coming on "at a later stage" according to Broadband TV News. We've still yet to hear exactly when the USA will be gaining such excellence in our above-and-beyond displays galore.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see recent explosions in 4K technology appearing over the past few weeks. SlashGear had the opportunity to check out several 4K TV sets at CES 2013 and we're expecting more throughout the year – this high definition madness has only just begun!