Ultra High Definition, closer every day

NHK has taken a giant step by transmitting an 8K signal through UHF digital networks. On the other hand, the SES satellite group would be studying launching the first experiences in Ultra High Definition.

Since the Japanese NHK announced the project to develop Ultra High Vision (UHDTV) technology, one of the main obstacles has been the management of such a huge amount of information.

UHDV technology provides an image whose resolution is 16 times higher than high definition (1920×1080), and up to 75 times higher than the PAL system (768×576). It has more than 4000 horizontal scanning lines, and a resolution of 7680x4320, that is, 33 million pixels, compared to the HDTV's 1080 lines and 2 million pixels.

Constant evolution

Given its experimental nature, NHK had to build the equipment from scratch. In the September 2003 demonstration they used a battery of 16 HDTV recorders to capture the test signal (which lasted 18 minutes).

The camera used was built from 4 CCDs of 64 mm each, with a total resolution of 3840×2160. From this resolution they used pixel shifting to increase the captured image to 7680 × 4320.1

The system was first demonstrated at Expo 2005 in Aichi (Japan) and at NAB and IBC since 2006.
This week, NHK has taken a giant step by transmitting an 8K signal through UHF digital networks. The experiment was carried out broadcasting at a distance of 4.2 kilometers in Tokyo, and used several transmission channels with MIMO technology.

In February, the Japanese broadcaster announced that it had designed an 8K sensor capable of recording at 120 fps, while in April it showed a 145-inch screen, developed jointly with Panasonic, with 8K resolution.

Downsizing

Those who have attended the Ultra High Definition demonstrations in recent years were surprised by the size reached by the first camera prototypes for this format.

Now, NHK has managed to reduce the electronics and optimize the signal processing to the maximum to create a camera prototype similar in size to any ENG equipment and weighing around 4 kilos.

SES in UHDTV

On the other hand, the SES satellite group would be studying launching the first experiences in Ultra High Definition. Romain Bausch, president and CEO of the Luxembourg-based company, has assured analysts that SES would be willing to launch the first UHDTV channels in two or three years.

Bausch also suggested that BSkyB could be preparing for the pioneering introduction of the next generation of high definition television in its version at 4K resolution (3840x2160 pixels).