This is going to be the most technical part of this list, so bear with me. Anybody who does anything with video is gearing up for 4K resolution, which is slightly more than twice the resolution of 1080p TVs. Because of that, the video files for anything made in 4K and recorded using current encoding software would be huge. Too huge, in fact, to stream movies without annihilating bandwidth caps all over the world. So there needs to be a new video encoding format to handle 4K. There are two options: VP9 and HEVC. VP9 is an open-source encoder from Google, which makes files that are less than half the size of what the current encoder does. HEVC does almost the exact same thing as VP9, but is slightly more efficient and comes with a license fee because a bunch of companies pumped tons of money into developing it. And unfortunately, neither is in a superior position because both have companies jumping on their bandwagons. For customers, it's yet another tech format war, where picking the wrong choice means getting stuck with a useless product down the line. This one isn't quite as bad as HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray, mostly because for the vast majority of devices, all you need to do is update to or install a player that supports both. But when it comes to TVs (which need to play over the air broadcasts), it seems like the same old story. The only saving grace of this format war is that no one is ready for 4K broadcast, so that gives everyone a year or two to sort it out. Hopefully, it'll be safe to buy a 4K TV by then.
Living in Florida, enjoying the weather when its good, writing for a living. TV, Film, Animation, and Games are my life blood. Follow me on Twitter @xbsaint. Just try not to get too mad when I live tweet during Toonami.
