ITV

Tag: 4K

  • XTreme-AsiaSat to provide 4K premium UHD content

    XTreme-AsiaSat to provide 4K premium UHD content

    MUMBAI: 4K-SAT, the Ultra-HD channel operated by Asia’s premier satellite operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat), will be broadcasting premium extreme and outdoor content from XTreme Video on AsiaSat 4.

    XTreme Video is producing the best 4K content for extreme sports fans worldwide. Its UHD content on 4K-SAT will include some of the most stunning extreme and outdoor content, such as the successful mountain biking series ‘MTB Insights’ and the world’s wildest freestyle motocross show ‘Masters of Dirt’.

    “The brilliance of 4K definition truly comes into its own when the subject matter is as visually captivating as extreme and outdoor programming. We’re committed to bringing the highest quality programming to audiences around the globe, via partnerships with platforms, broadcasters and partners like AsiaSat,” said Joe Nilsson, senior director of business

    “XTreme Video offers exciting, adrenaline pumping programs that are very popular amongst viewers of all ages that are interested in extreme sports. We want to bring an immersive quality viewing experience to viewers via our platform on AsiaSat 4,” said Sabrina Cubbon, vice president, marketing and global accounts of AsiaSat.

    ‘4K-SAT’ continues to impress major TV operators and viewers across the region with unique and compelling UHD content in fashion, lifestyle, nature, movies, TV series, documentaries, extreme sports and technology.

    Since 1994, XTreme has been the home of independent creators capturing and documenting the culture, locations and stories of extreme activities. Asia Satellite Telecommunications, the leading satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world’s population with its six satellites.

  • XTreme-AsiaSat to provide 4K premium UHD content

    XTreme-AsiaSat to provide 4K premium UHD content

    MUMBAI: 4K-SAT, the Ultra-HD channel operated by Asia’s premier satellite operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat), will be broadcasting premium extreme and outdoor content from XTreme Video on AsiaSat 4.

    XTreme Video is producing the best 4K content for extreme sports fans worldwide. Its UHD content on 4K-SAT will include some of the most stunning extreme and outdoor content, such as the successful mountain biking series ‘MTB Insights’ and the world’s wildest freestyle motocross show ‘Masters of Dirt’.

    “The brilliance of 4K definition truly comes into its own when the subject matter is as visually captivating as extreme and outdoor programming. We’re committed to bringing the highest quality programming to audiences around the globe, via partnerships with platforms, broadcasters and partners like AsiaSat,” said Joe Nilsson, senior director of business

    “XTreme Video offers exciting, adrenaline pumping programs that are very popular amongst viewers of all ages that are interested in extreme sports. We want to bring an immersive quality viewing experience to viewers via our platform on AsiaSat 4,” said Sabrina Cubbon, vice president, marketing and global accounts of AsiaSat.

    ‘4K-SAT’ continues to impress major TV operators and viewers across the region with unique and compelling UHD content in fashion, lifestyle, nature, movies, TV series, documentaries, extreme sports and technology.

    Since 1994, XTreme has been the home of independent creators capturing and documenting the culture, locations and stories of extreme activities. Asia Satellite Telecommunications, the leading satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world’s population with its six satellites.

  • Ericsson catalyses Tata Sky HD channels to reach 50 by ’16-end

    Ericsson catalyses Tata Sky HD channels to reach 50 by ’16-end

    MUMBAI: Tata Sky has chosen Ericsson AVP 4000 compression platform to deploy 200 new channels Ericsson’s innovative encoding technology delivers enhanced picture quality, lower transmission delay and bandwidth efficiency. This deployment extends Ericsson and Tata Sky collaboration, which first began in 2004.

    The Ericsson AVP 4000 is powered by the company’s first video processing chip, designed to deliver outstanding picture quality at HD and SD, in both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC and offers a strong roadmap for operators who wish to extend their service offerings to 4K and high dynamic range (HDR) technologies.

    Ericsson’s AVP 4000 compression platform has been selected by Tata Sky, one of India’s leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) service-provider. The solution addresses the operator’s requirement for an encoding platform that meets the complex video processing demands associated with HD content.

    The platform will transform Tata’s service offering and enable the delivery of 200 additional channels (150 standard definition and 50 HD) by the end of 2016. Part of the award winning Ericsson AVP encoding range, the Ericsson AVP 4000 compression platform offers superior quality system encoding for IPTV, cable, satellite and broadcast. It delivers greater reliability and flexibility with lower transmission delay to ensure media organizations use bandwidth more efficiently and ensure consumers receive a high quality viewing experience.

    Tata Sky chief technology officer Yigs Riza, says: “As a long-term strategic partner of Tata Sky, Ericsson has continuously delivered significant bandwidth efficiencies year-over-year and its expertise will enable us to develop and deliver 50 new HD channels which respond to today’s growing market expectations. Ericsson’s AVP 4000 compression platform will not only significantly extend our channel offering, but also deliver the high quality, reliability and operational flexibility that our subscribers expect.”

    Ericsson head of technology, TV & media, Giles Wilson, says: Ericsson is focused on providing its customers with the necessary technologies, innovations and services to help them do this. This latest project with Tata Sky reflects our continued commitment to offering market leading services that help our customers to achieve success through the delivery of more high quality content experiences to wider audiences.”

    Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services. Its services, software and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud – are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

    Listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York, Ericsson supports networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty per cent of the world’s mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks.

  • Ericsson catalyses Tata Sky HD channels to reach 50 by ’16-end

    Ericsson catalyses Tata Sky HD channels to reach 50 by ’16-end

    MUMBAI: Tata Sky has chosen Ericsson AVP 4000 compression platform to deploy 200 new channels Ericsson’s innovative encoding technology delivers enhanced picture quality, lower transmission delay and bandwidth efficiency. This deployment extends Ericsson and Tata Sky collaboration, which first began in 2004.

    The Ericsson AVP 4000 is powered by the company’s first video processing chip, designed to deliver outstanding picture quality at HD and SD, in both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC and offers a strong roadmap for operators who wish to extend their service offerings to 4K and high dynamic range (HDR) technologies.

    Ericsson’s AVP 4000 compression platform has been selected by Tata Sky, one of India’s leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) service-provider. The solution addresses the operator’s requirement for an encoding platform that meets the complex video processing demands associated with HD content.

    The platform will transform Tata’s service offering and enable the delivery of 200 additional channels (150 standard definition and 50 HD) by the end of 2016. Part of the award winning Ericsson AVP encoding range, the Ericsson AVP 4000 compression platform offers superior quality system encoding for IPTV, cable, satellite and broadcast. It delivers greater reliability and flexibility with lower transmission delay to ensure media organizations use bandwidth more efficiently and ensure consumers receive a high quality viewing experience.

    Tata Sky chief technology officer Yigs Riza, says: “As a long-term strategic partner of Tata Sky, Ericsson has continuously delivered significant bandwidth efficiencies year-over-year and its expertise will enable us to develop and deliver 50 new HD channels which respond to today’s growing market expectations. Ericsson’s AVP 4000 compression platform will not only significantly extend our channel offering, but also deliver the high quality, reliability and operational flexibility that our subscribers expect.”

    Ericsson head of technology, TV & media, Giles Wilson, says: Ericsson is focused on providing its customers with the necessary technologies, innovations and services to help them do this. This latest project with Tata Sky reflects our continued commitment to offering market leading services that help our customers to achieve success through the delivery of more high quality content experiences to wider audiences.”

    Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services. Its services, software and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud – are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

    Listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York, Ericsson supports networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty per cent of the world’s mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks.

  • travelxp partners with AzamTV; brings content to Africa

    travelxp partners with AzamTV; brings content to Africa

    MUMBAI: After venturing into 4K, travelxp is in news for tying up with Azam Tv, and reaching out to audiences in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi & Rwanda. Azam TV is a brand in broadcasting industry in eastern Africa, and claims to have millions customers across the said countries.

    travexp is a Indian lifestyle channel attempting to make a mark internationally after its launched in February 2011. The customers of AzamTV will enjoy travel programming filmed in HD over 40 countries.

    Having a footprint in North America, Middle-East and the Indian Subcontinent, the channel’s entry into the east African region is a sure shot boost. The channel says that the shows like Xplore Hong Kong, Strictly Street, Bliss and Quest are favourite amongst its audiences.

    Commenting on the occasion, travelxp CEO and MD Prashant Chothani said “Africa is a market with enormous potential. The percentage penetration and growth of pay TV population is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. With content syndicated in over 40+countries, further reinforces our belief in our offerings and ability to match viewing preferences of our audiences. We are pleased to join hands with AzamTV to distribute our high quality content to entertain the viewers of Africa”

    Azam Media Limited COO Jacob Joseph added, “ We are glad to have travelxp in our bouquet. It is the most watched channel and perhaps the one &only channel that portray ‘ Life into Reality’. The channel that don’t settle for less but aimed for its best’.As our slogan ‘Entertainment for Everybody.’

  • travelxp partners with AzamTV; brings content to Africa

    travelxp partners with AzamTV; brings content to Africa

    MUMBAI: After venturing into 4K, travelxp is in news for tying up with Azam Tv, and reaching out to audiences in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi & Rwanda. Azam TV is a brand in broadcasting industry in eastern Africa, and claims to have millions customers across the said countries.

    travexp is a Indian lifestyle channel attempting to make a mark internationally after its launched in February 2011. The customers of AzamTV will enjoy travel programming filmed in HD over 40 countries.

    Having a footprint in North America, Middle-East and the Indian Subcontinent, the channel’s entry into the east African region is a sure shot boost. The channel says that the shows like Xplore Hong Kong, Strictly Street, Bliss and Quest are favourite amongst its audiences.

    Commenting on the occasion, travelxp CEO and MD Prashant Chothani said “Africa is a market with enormous potential. The percentage penetration and growth of pay TV population is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. With content syndicated in over 40+countries, further reinforces our belief in our offerings and ability to match viewing preferences of our audiences. We are pleased to join hands with AzamTV to distribute our high quality content to entertain the viewers of Africa”

    Azam Media Limited COO Jacob Joseph added, “ We are glad to have travelxp in our bouquet. It is the most watched channel and perhaps the one &only channel that portray ‘ Life into Reality’. The channel that don’t settle for less but aimed for its best’.As our slogan ‘Entertainment for Everybody.’

  • IBC Innovation Awards Shortlist Announced: IP, 4K and OTT Amongst Industry Trends Tackled by Entrants

    IBC Innovation Awards Shortlist Announced: IP, 4K and OTT Amongst Industry Trends Tackled by Entrants

    London, United Kingdom

    The shortlist for the IBC2016 Innovation Awards has been announced. The nine finalists are from six countries, as far apart as China and the USA. Each reflects the way that technological advances are boosting the creativity and efficiency of the content industry.

    That is what lies at the heart of the IBC Innovation Awards: the application of the latest technology in the real-world. This year this translates to making content more engaging for viewers, offering new functionality in delivery and discovery, and helping creators work more efficiently.

    “The IBC Innovation Awards are unique because we judge on the benefits each entry delivers to the end user,” said Michael Lumley, Chair of the judging panel. “Ultimately, the award is handed over on stage not to a company developing the newest widgets but to the broadcaster or media company which benefits from a real collaborative process to develop the best possible solution.

    “That gets tougher to judge each year,” Lumley added. “This year’s finalists represent the state of the art in some of the hottest topics, like online delivery and Ultra HD content.”

    There are three categories in the IBC Innovation Awards programme, for the best applications of technology in content creation, content management and content delivery. This year three projects have been shortlisted for each category, but the winners will not be announced until the IBC Awards Ceremony, at 18:30 on Sunday 11 September.

    Content Creation

    Two of the three finalists in content creation increase viewer engagement in sports television, although in very different ways. BT Sport wanted to add even more impact when it won the rights to cover European Champions League football, and added very sophisticated augmented reality elements to its studio coverage, including a signature shot flying over a map of Europe to the stadiums hosting each game. Working in a huge and largely black studio was a challenge for camera tracking company Ncam, who worked with Moov, RT Software and Timeline TV to create a solution.

    Point of view cameras for sports are not new, but Pylon Camera, developed by ESPN, takes it to a new level. Replacing corner posts in the high impact sport of American football, Pylon Cam has to have crush impact zones to avoid injuring players, while still delivering multiple views from each pylon. The pictures are not only sensational, they have helped referees judge critical touchdowns in key games. Technology partners include BSI and Gilman.

    The third finalist is the remarkable live IP studio built by the EBU and housed at VRT Sandbox in Brussels. Using open standards, it demonstrates interconnectivity between equipment from multiple vendors. More to the point, it shows that a real, working, uncompromised production studio can be built around IP workflows for live television. The long list of technology partners includes Axon, D&MS, Dwesam, EVS, Genelec, Grass Valley, Lawo, LSB, Nevion, Tektronix and Trilogy.

    Content Management

    Just as critical as creating excellent content is managing it to create compelling viewing. MoovIT Production Services was faced with the challenge of shooting the Endemol Shine Germany reality show Wild Island on two secluded islands off the coast of Central America, but hosting the post production in Cologne, Germany, to get the show to air. Working with EditShare, a remote workflow allowed the content to be secured in a hostile environment with an unpredictable power supply, and edited in Germany, saving 50% on standard time and resources.

    Ketnet, the children’s channel from VRT in Belgium, has been transformed into an interactive, curated online experience. The first app was aimed at two to five year olds, and concentrated on stimulating educational experiences rather than simply offering programmes and clips. The solution was developed by local company Small Town Heroes, and proved an immediate success, with young viewers spending 50% of their time playing.

    The third finalist takes us back to reality television, this time in China for Tencent Video’s production ‘The 15 of Us’. The difference is that Tencent is a video portal rather than a conventional channel, and wanted to make all 120 HD cameras and two 360˚ cameras available at all times – 3,000 hours of content a day for a full year. They worked with technology partner Grass Valley to manage the content for editing, packaging and approval.

    Content Delivery

    BT Sport has a second spot on the shortlist, this time for a delivery solution. In 2015 it launched BT Sport Ultra HD, and since then have produced a large number of sporting events in 4K, including football, rugby, MotoGP, squash and NBA basketball. The company worked with its outside broadcast partner Timeline Television to build Europe’s first Ultra HD 4K truck, including cameras from Sony and a SAM switcher.

    Swisscom is looking forward to a future where much television may be viewed on demand rather than on a linear schedule, and considered how it could help consumers discover the content they like. Working with ThinkAnalytics, it developed a new user experience which allows users to browse through all the content shown on more than 250 television channels, with personalised recommendations, and all working seamlessly over Switzerland’s four languages.

    For the final nominee the judges returned to sports once more, this time to UEFA, the European football governing body. Recognising that football fans want much more than just simple coverage of the game, UEFA worked with technology partners deltatre, EVS and the EBU to develop its Next Generation Services Project, delivering a host of additional content from data feeds to multiple angles and linked second screen experiences, allowing rights-holding broadcasters to build viewer engagement for the Champions League.

    Ceremony

    The winners of the IBC2016 Innovation Awards are a closely guarded secret until the awards ceremony, which takes place during IBC2016 at 18:30 on Sunday 11 September, in the Auditorium of the Amsterdam RAI.

    This lively and fast-paced show includes some audience surprises and highly entertaining offerings as well as the presentation of all of IBC’s awards, including the Judges’ Prize – also in the gift of the same panel of international editors and consultant who selected the Innovation Awards – and the IBC International Honour for Excellence.

    The ceremony is free to all IBC visitors and always proves a popular event.
     
    Judging Panel

    The IBC Innovation Awards are judged by an international panel:

    Michael Lumley (Chair)

    Carolyn Giardina (USA)

    David Crawford (UK)

    Dick Hobbs (UK)

    Fergal Ringrose (Ireland)

    Phil Sandberg (Australia)

    Vijaya Cherian (UAE)

  • IBC Innovation Awards Shortlist Announced: IP, 4K and OTT Amongst Industry Trends Tackled by Entrants

    IBC Innovation Awards Shortlist Announced: IP, 4K and OTT Amongst Industry Trends Tackled by Entrants

    London, United Kingdom

    The shortlist for the IBC2016 Innovation Awards has been announced. The nine finalists are from six countries, as far apart as China and the USA. Each reflects the way that technological advances are boosting the creativity and efficiency of the content industry.

    That is what lies at the heart of the IBC Innovation Awards: the application of the latest technology in the real-world. This year this translates to making content more engaging for viewers, offering new functionality in delivery and discovery, and helping creators work more efficiently.

    “The IBC Innovation Awards are unique because we judge on the benefits each entry delivers to the end user,” said Michael Lumley, Chair of the judging panel. “Ultimately, the award is handed over on stage not to a company developing the newest widgets but to the broadcaster or media company which benefits from a real collaborative process to develop the best possible solution.

    “That gets tougher to judge each year,” Lumley added. “This year’s finalists represent the state of the art in some of the hottest topics, like online delivery and Ultra HD content.”

    There are three categories in the IBC Innovation Awards programme, for the best applications of technology in content creation, content management and content delivery. This year three projects have been shortlisted for each category, but the winners will not be announced until the IBC Awards Ceremony, at 18:30 on Sunday 11 September.

    Content Creation

    Two of the three finalists in content creation increase viewer engagement in sports television, although in very different ways. BT Sport wanted to add even more impact when it won the rights to cover European Champions League football, and added very sophisticated augmented reality elements to its studio coverage, including a signature shot flying over a map of Europe to the stadiums hosting each game. Working in a huge and largely black studio was a challenge for camera tracking company Ncam, who worked with Moov, RT Software and Timeline TV to create a solution.

    Point of view cameras for sports are not new, but Pylon Camera, developed by ESPN, takes it to a new level. Replacing corner posts in the high impact sport of American football, Pylon Cam has to have crush impact zones to avoid injuring players, while still delivering multiple views from each pylon. The pictures are not only sensational, they have helped referees judge critical touchdowns in key games. Technology partners include BSI and Gilman.

    The third finalist is the remarkable live IP studio built by the EBU and housed at VRT Sandbox in Brussels. Using open standards, it demonstrates interconnectivity between equipment from multiple vendors. More to the point, it shows that a real, working, uncompromised production studio can be built around IP workflows for live television. The long list of technology partners includes Axon, D&MS, Dwesam, EVS, Genelec, Grass Valley, Lawo, LSB, Nevion, Tektronix and Trilogy.

    Content Management

    Just as critical as creating excellent content is managing it to create compelling viewing. MoovIT Production Services was faced with the challenge of shooting the Endemol Shine Germany reality show Wild Island on two secluded islands off the coast of Central America, but hosting the post production in Cologne, Germany, to get the show to air. Working with EditShare, a remote workflow allowed the content to be secured in a hostile environment with an unpredictable power supply, and edited in Germany, saving 50% on standard time and resources.

    Ketnet, the children’s channel from VRT in Belgium, has been transformed into an interactive, curated online experience. The first app was aimed at two to five year olds, and concentrated on stimulating educational experiences rather than simply offering programmes and clips. The solution was developed by local company Small Town Heroes, and proved an immediate success, with young viewers spending 50% of their time playing.

    The third finalist takes us back to reality television, this time in China for Tencent Video’s production ‘The 15 of Us’. The difference is that Tencent is a video portal rather than a conventional channel, and wanted to make all 120 HD cameras and two 360˚ cameras available at all times – 3,000 hours of content a day for a full year. They worked with technology partner Grass Valley to manage the content for editing, packaging and approval.

    Content Delivery

    BT Sport has a second spot on the shortlist, this time for a delivery solution. In 2015 it launched BT Sport Ultra HD, and since then have produced a large number of sporting events in 4K, including football, rugby, MotoGP, squash and NBA basketball. The company worked with its outside broadcast partner Timeline Television to build Europe’s first Ultra HD 4K truck, including cameras from Sony and a SAM switcher.

    Swisscom is looking forward to a future where much television may be viewed on demand rather than on a linear schedule, and considered how it could help consumers discover the content they like. Working with ThinkAnalytics, it developed a new user experience which allows users to browse through all the content shown on more than 250 television channels, with personalised recommendations, and all working seamlessly over Switzerland’s four languages.

    For the final nominee the judges returned to sports once more, this time to UEFA, the European football governing body. Recognising that football fans want much more than just simple coverage of the game, UEFA worked with technology partners deltatre, EVS and the EBU to develop its Next Generation Services Project, delivering a host of additional content from data feeds to multiple angles and linked second screen experiences, allowing rights-holding broadcasters to build viewer engagement for the Champions League.

    Ceremony

    The winners of the IBC2016 Innovation Awards are a closely guarded secret until the awards ceremony, which takes place during IBC2016 at 18:30 on Sunday 11 September, in the Auditorium of the Amsterdam RAI.

    This lively and fast-paced show includes some audience surprises and highly entertaining offerings as well as the presentation of all of IBC’s awards, including the Judges’ Prize – also in the gift of the same panel of international editors and consultant who selected the Innovation Awards – and the IBC International Honour for Excellence.

    The ceremony is free to all IBC visitors and always proves a popular event.
     
    Judging Panel

    The IBC Innovation Awards are judged by an international panel:

    Michael Lumley (Chair)

    Carolyn Giardina (USA)

    David Crawford (UK)

    Dick Hobbs (UK)

    Fergal Ringrose (Ireland)

    Phil Sandberg (Australia)

    Vijaya Cherian (UAE)

  • How 4K video bearer networks will pan out: Huawei’s view

    How 4K video bearer networks will pan out: Huawei’s view

    NEW DELHI: Video services will account for as much as 80 per cent of network traffic in the future, and 4K video, as a leading factor in the development of video services, has already become the strategic high ground on which telecom operators and online OTT video content platforms are striving to attract customers and obtain competitive advantage.

    In a white paper called The Experience-driven 4K Bearer Network released at its 2016 Global Analysts Summit in Shenzhen, Huawei said many mainstream telecom operations and OTT content providers around the world have already released 4K service strategic plans.

    Compared with traditional video services, 4K video services require higher bandwidth, lower latency, and reduced packet loss rates. With the rapid growth of 4K video traffic, however, the expansion of telecom operators’ networks is unable to meet fast growing bandwidth requirements, and the dilemma between providing a good video experience and ensuring return on network investment is becoming more distinct. The question of how to build a video service bearer network that can monitor user experience, allow service fault identification and demarcation, guarantee service quality, and benefit all parties is now of critical importance for the development of 4K services.

    The white paper focuses on two issues that have drawn considerable attention from telecommunications operators: how to ensure a good user experience for 4K video and how to bear the service. The paper presents an end-to-end target network architecture and evolution solutions for various deployment scenarios. As the industry’s first technical document to systematically set forth 4K bearer network solutions, the white paper should be of interest to telecom operators considering deployment of online 4K services  as well as establishment of  a positive business cycle in the 4K industry.

    The White Paper is claimed to be the first to systematically introduce the User, Unified, Ubiquitous-Mean Opinion Score for Video (U-vMOS) benchmark, which objectively quantifies end-user experience. It offers a guide to build an end-to-end best-experience 4K bearer networks architecture helping operators to simplify network layers, deploy gigabit access efficiently, and improve capabilities in intelligent acceleration, network perception, as well as big data analytics. Based on this proposal, operators can effectively solve problems in commercial applications of 4K videos, such as long loading time, pixelation, stalling, and even difficulties in locating reported faults.

    Creating a best-experience 4K bearer network can alleviate user experience degradation, as well as difficulties in service fault identification and demarcation. Telecom operators can provide 4K video themselves, gaining a competitive edge by their ability to offer differentiated services, or they can work together with OTT video content providers, providing them with a video distribution network that features BoD, quantifiable user experience, and manageable quality. End-users will enjoy not only top-quality 4K video, but also smooth online playback and carrier-class troubleshooting service.

    As an advocate for experience-centric network construction, Huawei says that it has actively invested in 4K UHD video bearer networks and carried out joint innovation with industry-leading operators to create 4K bearer network solutions that provide the best user experience. Huawei has also supported operators in successfully providing 4K video services and increasing the value of their fixed broadband networks. At present, Huawei’s best-experience 4K bearer network is already widely used at China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and British Telecom.

     

  • How 4K video bearer networks will pan out: Huawei’s view

    How 4K video bearer networks will pan out: Huawei’s view

    NEW DELHI: Video services will account for as much as 80 per cent of network traffic in the future, and 4K video, as a leading factor in the development of video services, has already become the strategic high ground on which telecom operators and online OTT video content platforms are striving to attract customers and obtain competitive advantage.

    In a white paper called The Experience-driven 4K Bearer Network released at its 2016 Global Analysts Summit in Shenzhen, Huawei said many mainstream telecom operations and OTT content providers around the world have already released 4K service strategic plans.

    Compared with traditional video services, 4K video services require higher bandwidth, lower latency, and reduced packet loss rates. With the rapid growth of 4K video traffic, however, the expansion of telecom operators’ networks is unable to meet fast growing bandwidth requirements, and the dilemma between providing a good video experience and ensuring return on network investment is becoming more distinct. The question of how to build a video service bearer network that can monitor user experience, allow service fault identification and demarcation, guarantee service quality, and benefit all parties is now of critical importance for the development of 4K services.

    The white paper focuses on two issues that have drawn considerable attention from telecommunications operators: how to ensure a good user experience for 4K video and how to bear the service. The paper presents an end-to-end target network architecture and evolution solutions for various deployment scenarios. As the industry’s first technical document to systematically set forth 4K bearer network solutions, the white paper should be of interest to telecom operators considering deployment of online 4K services  as well as establishment of  a positive business cycle in the 4K industry.

    The White Paper is claimed to be the first to systematically introduce the User, Unified, Ubiquitous-Mean Opinion Score for Video (U-vMOS) benchmark, which objectively quantifies end-user experience. It offers a guide to build an end-to-end best-experience 4K bearer networks architecture helping operators to simplify network layers, deploy gigabit access efficiently, and improve capabilities in intelligent acceleration, network perception, as well as big data analytics. Based on this proposal, operators can effectively solve problems in commercial applications of 4K videos, such as long loading time, pixelation, stalling, and even difficulties in locating reported faults.

    Creating a best-experience 4K bearer network can alleviate user experience degradation, as well as difficulties in service fault identification and demarcation. Telecom operators can provide 4K video themselves, gaining a competitive edge by their ability to offer differentiated services, or they can work together with OTT video content providers, providing them with a video distribution network that features BoD, quantifiable user experience, and manageable quality. End-users will enjoy not only top-quality 4K video, but also smooth online playback and carrier-class troubleshooting service.

    As an advocate for experience-centric network construction, Huawei says that it has actively invested in 4K UHD video bearer networks and carried out joint innovation with industry-leading operators to create 4K bearer network solutions that provide the best user experience. Huawei has also supported operators in successfully providing 4K video services and increasing the value of their fixed broadband networks. At present, Huawei’s best-experience 4K bearer network is already widely used at China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and British Telecom.