[Philip Lelyveld comment: I love the main caveat toward the end - the 4K set you bought already is "completely incompatible" with this new standard!]
4K TV channels in the UK took a step closer to reality over the weekend after a new Ultra HD TV broadcast specification was approved for Europe by the DVB Steering Board.
The new DVB-UHDTV Phase 1 specification allows for the over-the-air transmission of 3840x2160 resolution pictures at 60Hz and promises much improved colour depth with 10 bits per pixel rather than 8.
Once officially standardised, this specification will surely open the floodgates for 4K TV services to launch both on satellite and over-the-air platforms across Europe.
While great news for 4K enthusiasts, there are some caveats to all this excitement. The main one being that the new specification is completely incompatible with any of today's TV tuners, even the ones inside brand new 4K TVs with HEVC decoding built-in.
So if you've bought a 4K TV already, you'll need to splash out on a set-top box as and when. If all goes to plan, we would expect compatible TVs to start shipping in 2015.
See the full story here: http://www.techradar.com/news/television/tv/4k-tv-channels-on-the-way-as-dvb-uhdtv-standard-is-approved-1256181