NHK unveils 4K/8K box
October 4, 2016
By Chris Forrester
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK has unveiled a prototype 4K/8K ‘Super Hi-Vision’ Ultra-HD cable decoder box. The box is being showcased at the giant CEATEC Japan technology show (October 4th – 7th).
The set-top box has been developed in conjunction with KDDI, Jupiter Telecommunications (J:COM) and Japan Digital Serve Corp.
NHK has been test-transmitting 4K content for more than a year, while J:Com has been trialling 4K services since Jun 2014, and a 4K VoD service since May 2015.
NHK says: “The prototype receiving system is the first to use the channel bonding technology developed by NHK for splitting 4K/8K signals into multiple cable TV channels. This technology has the advantage that it can utilise existing cable TV facilities and transmission infrastructure in their present form. The miniaturisation of this 4K/8K cable TV reception equipment was achieved by the development of a demodulation Large Scale Integrated (LSI) chip (which comes from Socionext Inc) that converts cable TV signals into video and audio signals. Now all the main modules for 4K/8K reception on cable TV are ready. High expectations are now being placed in the development of a commercial version of cable TV receivers for the practical start of 4K/8K broadcasting.”