NHK to debut Ultra-HDTV special
December 13, 2012
By Chris Forrester
Japanese public broadcaster NHK is to broadcast its annual New Year’s Eve TV spectacular ‘Red & White Song Contest’ in Super Hi-Vision, the 8000-line high-end version of Ultra-HDTV.
The telecasts will be beamed to two locations, Tokyo Tower and at a TV station in Yokohama. A statement said: “The public viewings will coincide with the start of the live programme at 19:15pm. NHK invites viewers to come and enjoy this fusion of Japan’s most popular music show and future television technology, which will bring to life all the excitement and passion of a thrilling
event delivered live from NHK Hall.”
NHK Kohaku Utagassen (“The Red and White Song Contest”) has since grown into an indispensable part of the New Year celebrations in Japan with over 60-year-history. The participating artistes compete in two teams; women make up the Red team while men are in the White team – hence the show’s name. This year, a total of 50 artistes will take part in this colourful and hotly contested “Song Battle.” The telecast ends at 11.45pm.
Super Hi-Vision is a next-generation television system. It features ultra-high-definition images with 16 times the number of pixels of conventional HD, and stunning 3D sound using a 22.2 multichannel sound system. Super Hi-Vision creates an immersive viewing experience, making you feel like you are actually there and seated among the audience.