In Broadcast - February 2014 - 24

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 28 - FEBRUARY 2014

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4KTV Delivered To The Home Via IP

The broadcasting industry is set for major changes with new, high-quality content services provided
over Internet Protocol connections pushing 4KTV (aka Ultra HD) further up the agenda...

t CES in Las Vegas, it was
clear that the CE industry is
determined to make 4KTV / Ultra
HD a reality. Looking to avoid the
early mistakes of HD (too little
available content led to consumers
hesitating to buy new TV sets), the
industry is launching new content
services delivered via IP, bringing
high-quality video to the variety
of viewing devices now in the
marketplace.
It's still a bit early to declare 4KTV
a success, but what's also become
clear is that 4KTV will likely not be
delivered over the air via a terrestrial
transmitter, but via an IP connection.
In fact, Ultra HD is the ﬁrst TV format
that will beneﬁt from the Internet.
That's because Ultra HD content can
be delivered over a standard highspeed Internet connection and isn't
likely to be burdened by a format war
- although announcements of widerscreen 5KTV as well as 8KTV tests
in Japan in 2016 are a bit confusing
to many consumers.
Using the latest HEVC video
compression algorithms while still
maintaining high quality images,
downloading these huge Ultra HD
ﬁles requires speeds of only 8-15
megabits per second and can even
work with a Wi-Fi connection.

Compression

At CES compression specialists
Elemental Technologies and
Har monic showcase d their
respective 4K video processing
work in high-efﬁciency video coding
(HEVC/H.265) and MPEG-DASH
formats that bring high-quality
picture quality results to new Ultra
HD TVs and set-top boxes (STBs).
Harmonic technology was shown
working with partners like Broadcom
Corp., Sigma Designs, and Samsung
Electronics Co. The company's
highlights included establishing
the ﬁrst standards-compliant live
4K Ultra HD 30-Hz broadcast
workﬂow, powered by Harmonic
ProMedia Xpress file-based
transcoding software and decoded
by Broadcom's latest BCM7445
chip-based STB; and a 4K 120-Hz
broadcast workﬂow, also powered
by ProMedia Xpress software. The
transcoded UHD 24/30/60 fps
content was played back on Sigma
Designs' 120-Hz Ultra HD Platform.
Sigma's Ultra HD TV Chipset uses
only two chips, a SX6 UHD TV
Application Processor and a FRCX
Video Processor; representing a high
performance and cost effective 120Hz Ultra HD TV signal path.
Elemental's software-based

By Michael Grotticelli
Contributing Editor
4K HEVC video processing
was also highlighted in multiple
demonstrations on the show ﬂoor:
streaming 4K HEVC and MPEGDASH video to tablets and set-top
boxes with Akamai; demonstrating
Elemental 4K HEVC compatibility
with multiple hardware chipsets
includi ng STMicroelectronics and
Broadcom; and real-time encoding
of MPEG-DASH-compatible DivX
Live for streaming of HEVC-based
content to an Android tablet.
By leveraging these companies'
expertise in video compression,
storage, and transport, broadcasters
and service providers gain the ability
to distribute Ultra HD services simply,
reliably, and cost-effectively. Both
companies said their integrated
approach makes it possible to
stream 4K Ultra HD VOD content,
as well as transport stream channel
playout, with hooks to digital rights
management (DRM) and content
management systems (CMS), over
the Internet. They said they can also
deploy a linear Ultra HD channel
over existing DTH, cable, and Telco
networks quickly.
Most analysts agree that 4KTV
sets will begin to sell in large
numbers once the price is within

reach of the average consumer
(about $2,500 for a 50-inch set). The
Consumer Electronics Association
(CEA) estimates that less than
500,000 4K TVs will be sold in
the U.S. in 2014 (compared to the
60,000 sold in 2013).
Certainly TV set prices are falling
rapidly, which is key to getting
consumers to upgrade their HDTVs.

UHD Playout

In addition to select live events
(the Sochi Olympics and the World
Cup in Brazil), this year will see
content for these new sets come
from subscription services like
Netﬂix Inc., which has stated it is
working on distributing 4K video
over its Internet-based service. The
company said that all new Netﬂix
original series are being shot in 4K
and that the company is working
with studios on formatting existing
movies and TV shows in 4K (with
'Breaking Bad' and 'House of Cards'
among the ﬁrst). In addition, both
Amazon.com and Hulu are shooting
original series in 4K, and Amazon
said it was working with major
content producers to make 4K
content available.
"Streaming will be the primary way

consumers receive Ultra HD 4K and
we are excited to make this a reality
later this year," said Reed Hastings,
President and CEO of Netflix.
At the CES Show LG unveiled
a new line of Ultra HD TVs with
LG's proprietary webOS Smart
TV platform that supports content
streaming in 4K from Netflix.
Dr Skott Ahn, President and CTO,
LG Electronics, said: "Netﬂix 4K
content delivered on our amazing
Ultra HD screens through our
new webOS Smart TV platform
will change the way consumers
enjoy television."
For its part, Sony Corp.
promised an end-to-end suite of
4K production products (cameras,
switchers, servers, projectors, etc.)
for professionals. Mike Fasulo,
President of Sony Electronics even
showed a compact consumer-level
Handicam that shoots in Ultra HD,
priced at $2,000 (or as he said,
"4K for $2K").
New Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai also
showed off a device called the
Ultra Short Throw Projector, which
projects 4K video on a large scale
onto walls. It will be available for sale
in summer 2014, he said.
Sony's Fasulo mentioned several
upcoming movies, TV shows and
live events that will be shot in 4K
and offer something for UHDTV set
buyers to watch. "We're not talking
about this as a science project ten
years into the future," he said at
Sony's press conference. "This is
all happening now."

Toshiba displayed ultra-wide 5K TV at CES Toshiba displayed ultra-wide 5K TV at CES

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