[opendtv] Re: BBC Shelves Its 3-D TV Programming Plans
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2013 09:27:49 -0400
On Jul 7, 2013, at 12:49 PM, Mike Tsinberg <Mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I wonder if 4K has similar fate....
>
I think the answer has two major forks:
1. Vastly improved presentation of information;
2. A completely different way of broadcasting events.
My kids gave me an Apple TV for my birthday. It does a VERY GOOD job presenting
video content, and works well with my other iOS devices in terms of playing
video "found" on these devices. It essentially gets transfers the streaming
responsibility from the phone or tablet to the Apple TV processor and delivers
it full screen.
But Airplay mirroring of web sites, apps etc is constrained. On my 720P display
I see a 4:3 box that fills about half there screen, and the resolution of text
and graphics is soft. (note: I saw this "softness" before when using a DVI
connector to my laptop). I have not tested it yet, but I suspect that the
mirroring is better on a 1080P display.
Given the fact that many new mobile devices are moving to much higher pixel
densities (my iPad is 2048 x 1536), I think it is quite feasible that there
will be demand for something like 4K for applications such as web surfing,
games, etc.
This added resolution may help with the quality of some TV content, but the
real question i:
How much help is really needed?
We already know that Hollywood is far less concerned about resolution than the
look of their content. They may like 4K for theatrical presentation on large
screens, but there is little evidence that they need this level of resolution
(and the associated transmission bandwidth) for the TV in the family room.
News and talking heads - smart phone cameras are capturing real news every day.
But sports is another animal, and the techniques for covering sporting events
have not changed in decades - in essence, we are watching the games through the
eyes of the commentators and the director who chooses the shots and replays we
watch. This could change dramatically with 4K sports coverage.
With 4K it should be possible to position one or a few cameras to cover the
entire event WITHOUT any camera moves. To see something close up the viewer
would simply zoom into the resolution, much as JPEG 2000 enables with still
images. And with today's CPU and GPU engines, it would be quite easy to program
a TV to follow specific players or regions of the field, much as a cameraman
does today.
So in short, 4K is coming…
It remains to be seen which industry(s) and applications will drive the
adoption…
Regards
Craig
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