Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, together with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Abertis Telecom, SAPEC, Sony, Apuntolapospo and URL La Salle have demonstrated the first Ultra High Definition 1 (UHDTV 1) DVB-T2 broadcast, in Barcelona at the MWC.

The terrestrially distributed transmission, using 3840×2160 pixel resolution known as UHD-1 – four times the resolution of current HDTV services – crystallises the practical feasibility of future UHDTV services. It also demonstrates that the DVB-T2 standard is a successful, spectrum efficient way of carrying such high-quality transmissions.

This pioneering broadcast is being shown on an 84-inch screen at the Mobile World Conference 2013, in Barcelona, until February 28th. It features shots of the Catalan capital encoded in H.264/AVC at 35 Mbit/s.

Certain parameters other than picture resolution, including the frame rate, colour space and an immersive audio system, are under discussion for what will emerge as the next ‘standard’ television format.

EBU Technology & Innovation Director Lieven Vermaele said the Barcelona demonstration was a big step towards greater spectrum efficiency and a much enhanced home viewing experience. “The EBU is committed to exploring the potential of new transmission technologies and new video formats,” he said. “Through our support for this demonstration we are helping to ensure that the needs of public service broadcasters are taken into account as together we shape the future of television.”

In parallel with the UHD-1 transmissions, the demonstration partners are also taking the opportunity to test the performance of T2-Lite, a version of the DVB-T2 standard optimised for mobile terminals.

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Production, UHD