PANELLISTS
32
October 2016
Artel enhances IP capabilities in DigiLink platform
Artel Video Systems ’ DLC450 IP gateway for transport of HD , SD , ASI and GigE signals over 10G Ethernet networks , is expanding IP support in the company ’ s flagship DigiLink media transport platform . Designed specifically to address the requirements of migrating from direct fibre to IP networks , the DLC450 supports auto-sensing of standards-based , broadcast-quality HD-SDI , SD-SDI and ASI video formats . Integrated within the DigiLink platform , the DLC450 utilises SMPTE 2022-1 / 2 / 5 / 6IP encapsulation and optional Forward Error Correct ( FEC ) algorithms for flexible configurations that maximise reliable performance and minimise latency .
A bridge to monitor high density IP networks
Bridge Technologies has announced the VB440-V dual Gigabit Ethernet virtual probe ( pictured ), which monitors high density IP media traffic in core broadcasting networks , production studios , outside broadcast ( OB ) and master control centres . Designed to enable users to quickly rectify problems and maximise Quality of Service ( QoS ), the VB-440 supports dual 40 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and SDI-over-IP , thus providing network operators and digital media organisations with an analytics solution for thousands of streams and multiple technologies in real time and in parallel , said Bridge Technologies .
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PANELLISTS
Mock Pak Lum
CTO StarHub
David Siah
Chairman Cloud Security Alliance Singapore
HEVC a key driver for 4K / Ultra HD , and more
Said to offer double the coding efficiency of the AVC / H . 264 video compression standard , HEVC / H . 265 has also been closely associated with the advancement of
4K / Ultra HD . Josephine Tan provides an update .
Broadcasting 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) content is simply not possible without the highefficiency video coding ( HEVC )/ H . 265 video compression standard , declares Ian Trow , senior director , emerging technology and strategy , Harmonic .
HEVC / H . 265 , Trow tells APB , is essential for delivering high-resolution content such as 4K / UHD as it provides up to 50 % bitrate savings , thereby making the distribution of 4K / UHD content viable , especially where service scalability is a key concern .
He explains : “ With HEVC / H . 265 , operators can reduce the data rate needed for high-quality video coding to deliver better video quality using the same amount of bandwidth , or the same quality using lesser bandwidth .”
For instance , during the 2016 French Open tennis championship held in June this year , viewers in Paris were able to enjoy the tournament in 4K / UHD on channel 81 over TDF , a French digital terrestrial television ( DTT ) technical network operator , and on Fransat ’ s 4K / UHD channel , which delivered live coverage of the semi-finals and final matches during the last four days of the tournament .
One contributor to the successful delivery of the tournament was Harmonic ’ s ViBE 4K / UHD real-time encoder , which offers HEVC / H . 265 compression efficiency that enables the encoding of 4K /
In June this year , Harmonic ’ s ViBE 4K / UHD encoder aided the delivery of the 2016 French Open tennis championship in 4K / UHD to Parisians .
Teleport operator STN has been employing Elemental Technologies ’ solutions to power its unified headend delivery of broadcast and OTT TV content in HEVC / H . 265 to its subscribers .
UHD content at a bitrate compatible with satellite , cable , terrestrial and fibre networks .
In partnership with Eutelsat and TDF , the French Tennis Federation and France Télévisions used the ViBE 4K / UHD encoder to broadcast the French Open live in 4K / UHD with high dynamic range ( HDR ) according to the hybrid log-gamma ( HLG ) specification , while audio encoding was performed in Dolby AC-4 . Viewers equipped with 4K / UHD TV sets compatible with DVB-T2 and HEVC / H . 265 were able to experience the tournament through a combination of HDR and HLG technologies .
Commenting on the live transmission of the French Open , Trow elaborates : “ The biggest challenge we faced was bandwidth . On the terrestrial network , two 4K / UHD channels were broadcast with limited bandwidth availability .
“ Thanks to the ViBE 4K / UHD HEVC / H . 265 encoder , we were able to achieve an excellent picture quality at extremely low bitrates , less than 20Mbps on terrestrial network and 30Mbps on satellite , which is challenging to achieve for sports content .”
Designed to encode content in real time via the HEVC / H . 265 video compression standard , the ViBE 4K / UHD encoder processes uncompressed 4K / UHD signals at eight times the bitrate of current HD sources , and employs a 10-bit precision encoding technology to preserve the image details , sharpness and colour gradients throughout the distribution process , according to Harmonic .
As bandwidth availability and connectivity may remain at a premium in certain regions , Trow also recommends adopting HEVC / H . 265 in an HD streaming environment as it offers improvements over its predecessor , the advanced video coding ( AVC )/ H . 264 standard . He explains : “ HEVC / H . 265 improves coding efficiency through several innovative tools , such as enhanced motion compensated filtering , multiple coding block sizes and expanded loop filters .”
Trow is also convinced that for 4K / UHD services to be widely launched in the future , HDR will be a key component , even as 4K / UHD HDR poses another challenge — that of requiring enhanced 10-bit encoding on consumer devices . “ Thus , Harmonic ’ s ViBE 4K / UHD encoder ensures superior video quality , up to 2160p60 ( HEVC / H . 265 Main 10 profile ), at minimum bandwidth ,” he adds .
Although the adoption of HEVC / H . 265 has largely been driven by the broadcast of 4K / UHD content , it should not be restricted solely to this purpose , suggests Mark Cousins , manager , professional services , Asia- Pacific , Elemental Technologies .
He says : “ It is all about the additional content that people today