Technology for the FIFA World Cup has improved in the last four years. From television makers to broadcasters, the viewing experience has changed for the World Cup consumer and viewer.

With high-definition (HD) resolution constantly increasing, viewers will get to see clearer visuals as broadcasters are introducing "4K ultra HD" (UHD), which is four times the resolution of 1080p HD video. As Investor Place noted, 4K is a "digital cinema standard that delivers a 4096 x 2160 resolution."

The BBC announced three World Cup games will be broadcast on 4K UHD, including a quarterfinal and the final game of the soccer tournament, but only at select BBC Research and Development locations. The 4K UHD games will mark one of the first times the UHD content is streamed in the United Kingdom.

"One of the biggest challenges of distributing UHD TV to the home is how to make it compatible with existing broadcast and broadband capacities," wrote BBC Technology reporter Jane Wakefield. "Users need speeds of around 20Mbps (megabits per second) in order to watch 4K content without glitches, experts say."

According to the research group Enders, analyst Toby Syfret said the results of 4K UHD, particularly on a large screen, is "impressive," but noted it's good for the BBC to test the latest UHD technology before pushing it across current broadcast networks.

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According to the BBC, it has worked with Japanese broadcaster, and fellow World Cup broadcaster, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) on incorporating 4K UHD, while fellow U.K. broadcaster Sky held separate trials.

Sony has also tested 4K UHD technology. Ahead of this year's World Cup, Sony tested its 4K technology during last summer's FIFA Confederation Cup.

"We are very excited to offer an entirely new viewing experience at the greatest sport event in the world, the FIFA World Cup," said Soichi Kawachi, vice president of FIFA Partnership at Sony, via The Guardian. "By leveraging our cutting-edge 4K technology and our premier products and solutions through our partnership with FIFA, we will deliver a unique and totally compelling entertainment experience conveying the excitement of the matches in Brazil with the depth and vividness that the ultra-high definition of 4K delivers."

For Sony, it has shipped 1.6 million 4K UHD television units last year, including one million units during the fourth quarter of 2013. According to NPD's DisplaySearch, Sony's 4K television units will grow in sales by 8 percent. DisplaySearch noted the low percent growth is due to the selling price of 4K UHD sets. DisplaySearch acknowledged a 31.5-inch 4K UHD television can receive a price tag of $25,000, much higher compared to a 41.5-inch standard UHD unit.

Univision's broadcasting efforts include a partnership with production operator Bexel for 11 Avid editing systems, four EVS XT3s for playback and instant replay, Sony HDC-2500 cameras and a jib for Univision's Rio de Janeiro broadcasting headquarters.

Broadcast technology has had a long had a connection with the World Cup. The 1970 World Cup was the first games to broadcast in color. The 2006 tournament featured the first HDTV broadcast. Most recently, the 2010 World Cup from South Africa provided Internet streaming and 3D broadcasting.

The World Cup is considered "premium property" for broadcasters, notably if they're "free-to-air" channels, due to high viewing figures.

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