4K, DVB-S2X on ANGA COM agenda
May 16, 2014
ANGA COM – the exhibition for broadband, cable and satellite – has put together a panel of experts to discuss 4K UHDTV and how to make it a commercial reality. The panel will be an important part of the UHDTV debate at the event (May 20-22 in Cologne).
The main focus of the panel will be the introduction of the extensions to the DVB-S2 standard, called DVB-S2X. This new specification, developed by DVB members, including Newtec and SES, will be instrumental for the satellite industry to keep pace with demands for new features and increased efficiency.
Speakers who will take part in the technology panel titled ‘UHDTV: Are we ready to deliver it? at the ANGA ‘COM Conference on Tuesday 20th of May, include: Dr Peter Siebert, Executive Director, DVB Project (Moderator); Dr David Wood, DVB CM UHDTV, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) (Presenting ‘What Forms will Broadcast UHDTV take?); Thomas Wrede, VP Reception Systems, SES (Presenting ‘Features and Performance of the new DVB-S2X Standard’); Steven Soenens, VP Product Management, Newtec (Presenting: ‘Where will it be used? – DVB-S2X in Action’) and Philippe Stransky, Senior Vice-President and Chief Architect, NAGRA (Presenting: ‘How can we protect and secure UHDTV?).
According to the Euroconsult research report, Video Content Management and Distribution, HD and UHDTV will continue to grow. 11,000 HD and 500 UHDTV signals are expected to be launched by 2023 which will drive the need for more efficient transmission.
“HD channels are growing in number all the time,” said Wood. “Although the Euroconsult report states UHDTV is not growing as quickly as HDTV, this is normal in the time before a tipping point is reached. We should not underestimate that fact; it will not be many years before most large screen TVs and possibly even tablets are 4K capable. This will create market demand for 4K delivery. UHDTV will succeed because it is a ‘win-win’ for everyone – the viewer will enjoy the content more, the content provider will get more from their work, the set maker will have new selling propositions, and more will be demanded of the delivery channels in terms of capacity and efficiency. This will make DVB S2X and HEVC very important tools to deliver UHDTV.”
Soenens sees the new DVB-S2X specification as a key enabler for many new satellite services, including Direct-To-Home (DTH) Ultra HD 4K broadcasting. “The DVB-S2X technology is already in action on our products and I am delighted to share with the audience latest measurements from a live satellite network where DVB-S2X was in action. Typical contribution and distribution networks will benefit from a 10 per cent to 20 per cent efficiency increase using the new DVB-S2X specification.”
Carsten Engelke, Technical Director of ANGA, said the panel is a must for product engineers responsible for planning their business the next three years. “Delegates attending this panel will have the advantage of hearing about this technology from the organisations setting the standards. They are well-informed on 4K UHDTV, DVB-S2X and on the necessary content protection to implement these services successfully in the mass market. The introduction of new premium services requires more efficient video compression and transmission as well as more powerful content protection.”