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we’re not ready yet,” declares Simon Gauntlett, the DTG's technical director. “Understanding the step-changes required for Ultra-HD TV is the first challenge, but what content owners can all agree on now is that it’s about more than just more pixels. The frame rate, colour rendition and dynamic range can all improve the quality to 'beyond HD' and many of these improvements are visible regardless of screen size. Audio is often over-looked, but there are step-changes there which could help enhance the experience further. The DTG has set up the UK UHD Forum, co-chaired by the BBC and BSkyB, to discuss and capture these key steps and barriers to realising Ultra-HD to ensure that the UK CE market is in the best possible position to benefit from this next generation of television technology.” The EBU's Hoffmann adds a cautionary note on readiness for 4K. “No, not on large scale and for mainstream. That is the reason why the EBU is taking part in developing user requirements, scientific tests, and the required standards to have a cost effective and interoperable UHDTV end-to-end chain
available in a few years’ time.” Indeed, Elemental's Wymbs notes that large-scale, mainstream broadcast production infrastructures will be available in the next few years, according to the European Broadcast Union (EBU) Technical Report 014, published in June 2012. “The hope, of course, is that 4K and higher-resolution HD will stimulate content creation and demand. Currently, broadcasters are in investigation mode, primarily looking at 4K acquisition gear, as well as 4K lenses, video cards, monitors, and servers. For the most part, broadcasters are focused on 4K capture of high-profile sporting events such as the Super Bowl in the U.S. (CBS) and the Wimbledon Championships (the BBC), the 2014 World Cup in Brazil (NHK) and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.” “In terms of encoder/decoder technology, Elemental is ready to support a smooth transition to 4K infrastructural readiness for broadcasters, pay TV providers, and other
professional content programmers and distributors. The company is already ahead of the gam Rv?F?7W?'Bf?"D??Ud2??f??r??6?VFVB7W?'Bf?"??#cRV?6?F??r???G2?FW7B6?gGv&R&V?V6R?B?2???V?V?FVBF?R?Wr6??&W76???6?FV2v?F????G26?&Rf?FV?V?v??R?( ?D?tU"?66?&F??r( ?F?R&V?G??bWF?&?&?2fV?G2?e??B?D?f?"???R&?GV7B?&?WF??r?BV?FW'F???V?B?2V?f?f???F?W&R?2??B?b&V6???r??&RF?&?WBV?G&?Bff?&F&?R?( ?F?F???B6??R?TD?d?2??$?UB?&?GV7G2&R?&VG?D??%?f??&?R?'WB?FV?F??F?vW"?b'&?F??r&?GV7G2uV?G&?Brv?V?B&RF?6??gW6R6??7V?W'2v?F?FW&?v??6?F?W2??BFW67&?&R&V6?6V?F?Rf?&?B?B66?G??( ?V?G&?B?2FVf??VB'?F?RT?B?"%B?##??2??B?W7B&?WB&W6??WF????D?????'WB?6?&?WBg&?R&FR?#Fg2F?#g2??B6???W"76R&W&W6V?FF????v???RF?F??vR6?7F'B&?GV6??r?BF?7G&?'WF??rd?B??D?&W6??WF???B#Fg2?B6?W&6R67&VV?2F?F?7??F??26??FV?B?F?RF?7G&?'WF????b?fRD?cg2f?"W???R( 2v??6??2f"??&R7V?F&?Rf?"?fR7?'B( 2v???&WV?&RB??( ?F?R??GW7G'??2v????r???V?GV?F?v&G2F?R6???W&6??6F????bV?G&?B?( ?D???2u$TDR?4U0??????V?Ww&FRF??D?"?( 2?BF?R7V6?f?6F????2??B&V?V6VB?WC?7W?'B?b?D?"???V?G&?B67&VV?2( 2F?RV?G&?B67&VV?26???W&6???f??&?R7W'&V?F?F???B7W?'B?C??Ud2????fRV?6?FW"?BFV6?FW'2( 2F?W&R&R???&?F?G?W2f??&?RF??2?V"?( ??6?V?6?'&????VB?bV?G&?B7G&FVw?BWWFV?6B?7VvvW7G2F?B?F??Vv?V?G&?B?27F???B?66V?B7FvR?F?R4R??GW7G'?v?FV?&V6?v??6W2?B2F?R?W?B??v?6?7FW??F?REb'&?F67F??r6V7F?"?( ?V???R4B?F?RG&?6?F???g&???BF?V?G&?B?26???"F?F?R??RF?REb??GW7G'??2&VV?????rg&??4BF??B?6FV??FW2?fR?&VG?&?fV?F?V?"&??G?F?G&?7?'B&?Gv?GF??FV??F??r6??FV?BF??&vRVF?V?6W2??F?F??G&?7&V?B??FRv??6??V?2F?RW??7F??r??g&7G'V7GW&R?2gV??6??F?&?Rf?"V?G&?BEb'&?F67F??rF?V?BW6W'2??WfW'F?V?W72?6FV??FR?2?W7B??RV?V?V?B?bF?Rf?VR6???v??6?v????VVBF?&R???6Rf?"D?'&?F67F??r??V?&W"?bFWfV???V?G27F????VVBF??V?&Vf?&RF??2FV6?????w?6?F?R?fb???F&???FW&?2?b6??&W76????B7F?F&G2?'WBvR&V?WfRD?Eb?2??F?RGG&?'WFW2F???RF?&V6??RF?R&VfW&V?6R????v??V?B???RV?FW'F???V?B?( ??R7FFW2??7F?V??6?2F?BF?RF?67W76???2??FV?6B?2v?F?7W7F??W'2&RV?FR?6?F?fR?( ?'&?F67FW'2&Rf?Wv??rD?26??V???r?B7W7F??W'2vV?W&????R?B?vR&R?F?W&Vf?&R?fW'??F??7F?2??B?F????F?BF??27G&??rfVVF&6?6??V?B&RG&?f??rf?&6Rf?"F?R??GW7G'??BV?7W&RF?BWfW'???R?2&VG??( ?F'&V?fv6WGB?5D?B6R???FW2F?BF?W&R?fR&VV?6??R&??6?'W7FW"f???2&V?V6VB??F?R6??V?F?B?fR&VV?R?B?6??f???BF?R??&&?B?( ?&V???BF??2F?Rv???R??GW7G'??2vV&??rWf?"T?B??@??#UU$??TD???