DTG Testing launches 4K Ultra HD testing zoo
October 24, 2014
DTG Testing – which provides the product conformance regime which enables manufacturers to obtain trademarks for the Freeview and Freesat digital TV platforms in the UK – has launched what it claims is the world’s first Ultra HD product testing zoo with a 4K HDMI interoperability plugfest.
The Digital TV Group (DTG) members-only event brought together retail 4K TVs from 10 different manufacturers, set-top boxes, an upscaling Blu-Ray player, an AV receiver and testing equipment from two providers.
Participants tested different combinations of outputs and 4k resolutions, framerate and bit depth to build a picture of which HDMI features were supported.
Simon Gauntlett, chief technology officer at the DTG, said the event marked the beginning of a new era of testing facilities at the Digital TV Group and the trade body looked forward to further collaboration with industry to create a thriving 4K Ultra HD ecosystem in the UK.
With the 4K Testing Zoo now up and running, the DTG intends to hold a follow-on event to focus on 4K image quality and HEVC support.
Demand for the event arose from the DTG UHD Forum working groups, where broadcasters, manufacturers and content providers are working towards specifications for the launch of robust, high quality 4K TV services in the UK.
The full plugfest line-up included 12 Ultra HD 4K displays, all of which are currently available in retail, plus two set-top boxes and a reference STB design from a silicon vendor, with HDMI test tools supplied by Rohde & Schwarz and Quantum Data.
Device manufacturers and the DTG’s testing partners were joined during the day by observers from the UK broadcast platforms to assess the state of the technology’s development.
The DTG’s findings from the day are now being collated to investigate whether there are specifications or guidelines it can create to improve interoperability in the future.