PANELLISTS
❝ HDR accentuates the contrast on smaller screens , where you do not notice the increase in pixels 4K / UHD
brings as much .❞
18
April September 2012 2018
EBU conducts 4K / Ultra HD HFR tests
At last month ’ s European Championships in Berlin , the European Broadcasting Union ( EBU ) led trials with five EBU members and 19 industry partners of production workflows to shoot , process , record and distribute live 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) content , with high frame rate ( HFR ), high dynamic range ( HDR ) and next-generation audio ( NGA ). The trials , according to the EBU , involved the “ world ’ s first ” live distribution of 4K / UHD content with both HDR ( HLG / BT . 2100 ) and HFR ( 100 fps , 2160p100 ).
Blackmagic Design unveils DaVinci Resolve 15
The latest edition of Blackmagic Design ’ s professional editing , visual effects , motion graphics , colour correction and audio post-production software , is now available as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website . DaVinci Resolve 15 fully integrates visual effects and motion graphics , making it “ the world ’ s first ” solution to combine professional offline and online editing , colour correction , audio post production , multi-user collaboration and visual effects together in one software tool . DaVinci Resolve also adds an entirely new Fusion page with more than 250 tools for compositing , paint , particles , animated titles and more .
Next Month @ Creation
Post-production Editing and Colour Grading Systems
PANELLISTS
Dr Ahmad Zaki Mohd Salleh
Director Technical Operations TV Networks Media Prima
Phan Tien Dung
CTO Vietnam Digital Television
Mike Whittaker
Executive Vice-President and CTO , Asia-Pacific and the Middle East , Fox Networks Group Asia
HDR brings new dynamics to content production & consumptions
Whether broadcasters and content producers are working in 4K / Ultra HD or HD , it would appear that HDR is playing an increasingly key role in bringing the most immersive viewing experience to the home . Shawn Liew writes more .
While more and more viewers — even those of the sports persuasion — are embracing the concept of consuming their favourite content streamed over the Internet , it does not necessarily mean that they are willing to make major concessions when it comes to picture quality .
This , perhaps , goes some way to explaining why even traditional broadcasters are stepping up efforts to bring the best viewing experience to their audiences , beyond the TV screen . The BBC , for instance , streamed selected matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup live in 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) and high dynamic range ( HDR ) to UK-based audiences over the BBC iPlayer .
That , possibly , remains the high point of a journey that began in 2014 , when the BBC started to investigate how HDR could fit into its broadcast infrastructure . The British public broadcaster came to the conclusion that any approach could not rely on end-to-end metadata , as metadata
A more immersive viewing experience ? The BBC streamed selected matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup live in
4K / Ultra HD
( UHD ) and high dynamic range ( HDR ) to UK-based audiences over the BBC iPlayer . often gets lost or becomes out-of-sync with the content as it passes through the production chain .
The BBC also wanted the captured signal to be display-independent because a wide range of different displays and lighting conditions are used both in production environments and in the home . Finally , the BBC wanted an approach that was compatible with its current 10-bit infrastructure , and only required changes to the cameras and critical monitoring displays . This led the BBC and Japanese public broadcaster NHK to invent the Hybrid Log-Gamma ( HLG ) system for HDR , which is included in ITU-R BT . 2100 , the international standard for HDR programme production and exchange .
Designed to be a scene-referred system , the HLG signal represents relative light levels in the original scene , which allows pictures from a single mastering process or live production to be adapted to give the same artistic effect on brighter or darker screens at home . Only the display itself needs information about its own capabilities and environment to faithfully render the scene-referred signal , so metadata that describes the mastering display is not required . HLG also has native compatibility with standard dynamic range ( SDR ) TV within the same colour format , which can be used for 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) SDR displays .
The BBC ’ s long-term goal is also to develop a complete HDR ecosystem . This , the BBC says , starts with fundamental research into the human visual system , which then informs develop-
PHOTO CREDIT : THE BBC
❝ HDR accentuates the contrast on smaller screens , where you do not notice the increase in pixels 4K / UHD
brings as much .❞
— David Blackett , Group GM , Magna Systems and Engineering
ment of technical systems including format conversion techniques , HDR production guidelines and adaptation requirements for displays of different brightness .
HDR , the BBC adds , will offer a step-change in quality to viewers , making pictures more realistic and immersive . However , in order for HDR programmes to be enjoyed in the home , a complete broadcast infrastructure must be in place . HLG ’ s native compatibility allows much of the existing SDR infrastructure to be re-used for HDR .
From both a broadcast and end-user perspective , what does HDR truly bring ? APB asks David Blackett , group GM , Magna Systems and Engineering . He suggests that HDR brings another step forward in terms of quality . “ It also gives more of a 3D impression , without losing the social viewing aspect that 3D does when you are using glasses or a headset .”
In productions , Blackett believes that HDR can be a game-changer , translating into more depth in the blacks and whiter whites , along with a wider colour gamut ; this , in turn , results in more lighting options .
“ To make it work for you , make sure you do all your pre-shoot planning properly and fully take into account all of the extra ‘ angles ’ that HDR brings , such as more details , definition and focus , and how these will affect you and your production ,” he advises .
HDR , of course , has been associated
18
EBU conducts 4K/Ultra
HD HFR tests
At last month’s European Championships
in Berlin, the European Broadcasting Union
(EBU) led trials with five EBU members
and 19 industry partners of production
workflows to shoot, process, record and
distribute live 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) content,
with high frame rate (HFR), high dynamic
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