Stuart English
Red Team
I suspect even if it could it would really be new technology requiring new players and so on, it's not like you are suddenly going to be able t buy a 4K bluray disk and play it on your existing player..
I think that first the big movies will be delivered and in some cases projected in 4K (like early IMAX, so in a few major cities you'll have a some 4K cinemas). Then with an eye on future revenues, distributors will start asking for all movies to be delivered 4K (even if they are mostly not going to be distributed in that resolution). Then a few major TV series will be delivered 4K, but still not broadcast that way (at least not to a mass audience). Then there will be a 4K home delivery solution; like BluRay enabled true 1080p for the home. Then gradually over several years, more and more cinemas, home cinema systems and broadcasters will switch to 4K. It'll be 2020 before we're mostly all watching 4K, and even then loads of media will still be 1080p or less.
re 4K Player hardware - unless someone has a very well concealed trick up their sleeve - most probably true
I accept your point that 720p / 1080i / 1080p will be distributed for years to come, and hence we may never reach the "mostly all watching 4K" status, however IMHO the 4K business does not need to achieve that in order to be very viable for producers, advertisers and professional and consumer equipment manufacturers.