The first global 4K broadcast in DVB-T2 with HDR, WCG and Dolby AC-4 carried out by Cellnex Telecom successfully concludes

Using a 500 W transmitter located in the Valencina transmitter center in Seville, Cellnex has issued a pilot with DVB-T2 modulation at 34 Mbps with 4K images in High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wider Color Gamut (WCG).

With the aim of testing how far Ultra High Definition can go in a digital terrestrial broadcast environment, Cellnex Telecom The first 4K world broadcast in DVB-T2 with HDR, WCG and Dolby AC-4 took place on November 5 and 6 at the 4K World Summit in Seville.

Using a 500 W transmitter located in the Valencina de la Concepción broadcasting center in Aljarafe, Seville, Cellnex has been broadcasting Ultra High Definition images in DVB-T2 (UHF channel 36) for the Andalusian capital.

DVB-T2 modulation has made it possible to transmit up to 34 Mbps, with a bit rate sufficient to broadcast the world's first UHD broadcasts with High Dynamic Range (HDR), Wider Color Gamut (WCG) and Dolby AC-4.

Thanks to Dolby Vision technology, those who have followed this pilot experience have been able to enjoy an improved visual experience with high brightness, contrast and color range through the combination of HDR and WCG.

The encoding used in this pilot was HEVC, over which a metadata channel was sent with additional information for HDR. This has allowed those televisions that did not have HDR to play content in Standard Dynamic Range (SDR).

In terms of audio, the broadcast has used the Dolby AC-4 format. The key elements of Dolby AC-4 have already been standardized in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as TS 103 190, have been adopted by DVB as TS 101 154 and are ready for incorporation in next generation audiovisual services.

Xavier Redón, product manager of Cellnex Telecom, details in this video interview details of this first pilot test of 4K broadcasting in DVB-T2 with HDR, WCG and Dolby AC-4 and analyzes the possibilities of DTT as a vehicle to distribute 4K to a mass audience.