[opendtv] NHK demos UHD TV broadcast

What's interesting about this article is that they have gone beyond just the 
display issues related to UHD, and included questions of transmission. And 
to me, this scheme looks similar to the original HDTV schemes, HD-MAC and 
MUSE, because it needs to rely on a special UHD-only slice of spectrum. It 
is not likely that UHD broadcasts, which require 250 Mb/s compressed, will 
be able to coexist with more run of the mill TV spectrum allocations anytime 
soon?

For example, even if you postulate a signal-to-noise ratio as high as 40 dB, 
which is achievable but hardly trivial, the narrowest channel width you can 
get by with would be 19 MHz. Never say never, but it does seem like a 
difficult proposition on a regular TV right-of-way.

Bert

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NHK demos UHD TV broadcast

Yoshiko Hara
(05/26/2006 2:57 PM EDT)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=188500682

TOKYO ? NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories has demonstrated 
virtual satellite broadcasting of ultra-high definition (UHD) TV, which 
promises resolution 16 times higher than current high-definition images.

NHK terms the technology as Super HiVision featuring 7680x4320 pixel 
resolution with progressive scanning at 60 frames per second. STRL, the 
central laboratory of Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) showed off the 
images at the NAB show held in Las Vegas last month, using fiber optic cable 
for transmission.

Researchers brought the technology a step closer to reality by verifying 
signal transmission in a simulated satellite broadcasting and demonstrating 
it at the lab's open house earlier this week.

Japan is assigned with the 21-GHz band for future satellite broadcasting. If 
UHDTV broadcasting were to begin, satellite broadcasting would be feasible 
due to availability of a wide bandwidth. The UHDTV signal was compressed, 
modulated and went through an up-converter, then sent to an experimental 
21-GHz-band satellite transponder that amplifies and relays signals on a 
satellite. The signal then passes through a down converter, where it is 
demodulated and decoded for display.

NHK has not set the specifications for the next generation broadcasting 
system, but is using Super HiVision as the research base. Presently, the 
data rate of Super HiVision baseband signal is 24 Gbits per second. Using 16 
MPEG-2 encoding chips, the signal was compressed to 250 Mbits per second for 
transmission. HDTV signals at present are 1.5 Gbits per second for baseband 
and 20 Mbit per second for compressed signals.

In the experiment, the compression was dependent on MPEG-2. Lacking a 
single-chip solution, the researchers used four modulators to compress the 
audio and video signals in the experiment.

Researchers plan to develop an optimum compression technology for Super 
HiVision and develop a higher performance modulator that can handle 300 Mbps 
signals.

All material on this site Copyright 2006 CMP Media LLC. All rights reserved.

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