Ultra HD Alliance Chairman Michael Zink announced at the IBC show in Amsterdam this week that 4K broadcasting is very important to the Ultra HD ecosystem, and that significant strides are being made in delivering high-quality live 4K Ultra HD broadcast content to viewers.
“From the outset, the Alliance has been focused not only on helping consumers understand the benefits of 4K UHD with HDR, but also on fostering the growth of the UHD ecosystem,” said UHDA Chairman, Michael Zink. “Broadcast is a critical component of the content universe, and the recent delivery of marquee events such as the Olympics, the World Cup and Wimbledon in 4K with HDR is a significant step toward ensuring consumers get the most out of today’s 4K UHD with HDR displays.”
Earlier this summer, the UHD Alliance (UHDA), which is an inter-industry group charged with fostering an ecosystem to promote the benefits of Ultra HD with HDR to consumers, unveiled a formalized path for broadcast content, stressing live content, to meet the UHDA’s “Ultra HD Premium” specifications.
The UHDA said the new addition enhances its content specifications covering “the entire in-home content delivery ecosystem.” This will give consumers guidelines to purchase “premium” quality level 4K UHD products and content “to fully take advantage of their 4K with HDR displays via packaged media, digital and broadcast.”
Previously, the UHDA has released premium specifications for content delivered via packaged media (Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc), as well as over digital distribution.
Last September, the Alliance announced premium specifications for cable and satellite set-top boxes.
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Broadcast 4K content, which remains scarce in the United States, also now has a set of guidelines consumers can use to ensure they can enjoy the full 4K UHD Premium content experience over the airwaves.
“Accessibility of broadcast content, particularly live sports, has always been critical to consumer adoption of new display technologies,” stated Tristan Veale, market analyst with Futuresource Consulting. “We saw a significant uptick in consumer adoption of HDTV in 2006/2007 when broadcast HD content became prevalent.”
The UHDA said its recommendations “align with existing industry workflows, provide flexibility to content producers by allowing broadcasters to move HLG content into a PQ environment and make it easier for broadcasters to expand their 4K Ultra HD with HDR offerings. Moreover, the recommendations make it possible for broadcast content to be distributed in a form that meets the Ultra HD Premium Content Specification.”
“Since its inception the organization has engaged with a wide variety of content creators and distributors,” said Michael Fidler, UHDA president. “This simplified approach to enabling 4K with HDR broadcast provides the basis for our continued discussions with producers and distributors of both scripted and live television content, especially those interested in providing consumers with the best possible in-home experience.”
By Greg Tarr
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