ITV

Tag: Thomas Wrede

  • LG & SES to demonstrate 4K high frame rate tech

    MUMBAI: SES and LG Electronics will demonstrate OLED TV’s cutting-edge 4K High Frame Rate (HFR) broadcast at the tenth SES Industry Days conference in Luxembourg on 16 & 17 May.

    The 4K HFR content will be transmitted live via an ASTRA satellite at 19.2 degrees East and displayed on LG’s OLED TV, using prototype HFR software. This demonstration will offer visitors the opportunity to experience the highly-improved picture quality of next generation 4K HFR broadcast content.

    HFR is a new broadcast technology that enhances the quality of 4K Ultra HD delivery by increasing frames per second (FPS) up to 120, the maximum for broadcast content, compared to most current technology which typically supports 50 FPS content or less. The enhanced FPS rate is particularly beneficial for fast action such as sports with lifelike, highly fluid images, while eliminating motion-related picture degradation found on conventional TVs such as motion blur and judder.

    In addition to display manufacturers, such as LG, global broadcasters and content providers are also preparing for the launch of the second phase of Ultra HD using the DVB UHD-1 Phase 2 specification, which features 4K HFR technology. The UHD-1 Phase 2 standard includes other cutting-edge technologies such as High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Next-generation Audio (NGA).

    “We are very excited to demonstrate just how effective LG’s OLED TV is as a platform for 4K HFR and other high grade content,” said Sam Kim, senior vice president and head of TV product planning at the LG Home Entertainment Company. “LG is committed to offering consumers around the world the latest in TV technologies and High Frame Rate on OLED TVs must be seen to be believed. Watching 4K HFR content on an OLED TV as it’s being transmitted in real time by ASTRA’s satellite is a great example of pushing the limits of current TV technologies.”

    “SES has been steadily pushing forward the development of Ultra HD, and the Industry Days event has always been an excellent platform to showcase new TV technology,” said Thomas Wrede, Vice President New Technology & Standards at SES. “High Frame Rate will be an important step towards further enhancing the quality of Ultra HD satellite transmissions, in particular for sports and reality TV events. Our continued partnership with LG Electronics is important in setting the broadcast standards of tomorrow and pioneering future TV technologies, and we are very pleased to work with LG Electronics on such an important milestone

  • SES pioneers first Ultra HD transmission

    SES pioneers first Ultra HD transmission

    MUMBAI: Global satellite operator SES has announced that, together with its partners Harmonic, which offers video delivery infrastructure, and Broadcom which offers semiconductor solutions, it has pioneered what it says is the first Ultra HD transmission in the new HEVC standard live from an Astra satellite at 19.2 degrees East. The HEVC standard features an up to 50 per cent encoding efficiency improvement, compared to previous test broadcasts in MPEG-4 AVC (H.264).

    The end-to-end demonstration which was presented at the SES Industry Days in Luxembourg used Harmonic’s ProMedia Xpress and a HEVC decoder reference-design system based on Broadcom’s BCM7445 device for receiving HEVC encoded Ultra-HD television transmission. The signal was broadcast in DVB-S2 using a data rate of 20 Mbit/s.

    The live demonstration for the first time broadcasts a full 3840×2160 pixel Ultra HD picture in HEVC, while previous demonstrations were either broadcast in H.264 or using 4 HD pictures in parallel. SES first live-broadcast a full 3840×2160 pixel Ultra HD picture using the MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) standard at IBC 2012.

    SES VP reception systems Thomas Wrede said, “We are very proud to present the first Ultra HD demo in the HEVC standard on satellite. SES has once again taken a leadership role in the industry by broadcasting the first real Ultra HD picture in a commercially realistic bandwidth.

    “We are convinced that the HEVC standard will become the option of choice for TV operators broadcasting Ultra HD content and expect the industry to develop prototype Ultra HD receivers in the coming months. With this initiative SES will be significantly driving the Ultra HD ecosystem forward and provide a 24/7 test channel to its industry partners.”

    Harmonic senior director of emerging technology, strategy Ian Trow said, “SES has achieved an important industry first with Harmonic and Broadcom. This DVB-S2 transmission clearly demonstrates the benefit of HEVC encoding using the Harmonic ProMedia in a live to air Satellite application. A significant compression improvement has been achieved using HEVC when compared to previous Ultra HD deployments using MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)”

    Broadband Communications Group associate product line director Joseph Del Rio said, “Broadcom is working to advance the adoption of HEVC technologies – and ultimately the distribution of UltraHD content – with SES. HEVC is the catalyst that will drive UltraHD television with its telepresence-like resolution to consumers.”