16 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com July 2013
“In the live OB market there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered” — Duncan Humphreys
Intothefuture
TVBEurope’s Beyond HD Masters conference at BAFTA last month successfully linked standards bodies with broadcasters, vendors, market analysts and producers for the first time to examine possibilities for Ultra High Definition. Report fromMelanie Dayasena-Lowe, Adrian Pennington and Fergal Ringrose
WE’VE BEEN to the future before. SD to HD to 3D and beyond — TVBEurope has charted each evolutionary step. This was not coincidentally one of the main messages of the industry as experts assembled to discuss all things Ultra HD at BAFTA, with chairman John Ive (IABM director of business and technology development) leading the way. “We are much wiser and better
informed as to what’s next on the horizon,” he declared. “Following hot on the heels of HD we have a selection of formats battling for our attention. There are issues of consumer motivation and hype to weigh up, and a whole set of technical issues from capture to display devices with implications for broadcasters in infrastructure and investment.” Beyond HD Masters laid bare the technological, creative and operational aspects, none of which are insurmountable but collectively do require the industry to pull together and ensure Ultra HD — or whatever the next viewing experience is called and specified — does not wither on the vine.
TVBEurope’s inaugural Beyond HD Masters conference at the Princess Anne Theatre at BAFTA in central London last month
Stephan Heimbecher: “UHD means not just more pixels but better pixels”
Coffee break: A chance for delegates to mingle and network with industry colleagues
Ultra-HD: Future of broadcasting?
STEPHAN HEIMBECHER, Sky Deutschland’s head of Innovation and Standards, Product and Operations picked up the theme in an entertaining scene-setter, urging delegates “to be patient and not rush to be first because if we get it wrong it may be the end of it.”
Heimbecher observed that a definition of ‘beyond’ was “to a degree that is past the understanding, reach or scope”, an idea he felt was a little bit frightening. “It means we are all learning what is coming.” For its part, Sky Deutschland has conducted a series of UHD
production tests at Bundesliga matches beginning December 2012 which were, he said, “movie- style productions” shot at high resolution but post produced. The most recent test at the Champions League semi-final in Munich in May had moved the dial with a first attempt to flow the signal from camera to OB van. “In live production we are closing the gaps in the chain but it might take another two years to deliver a sports event in UHD to customers,” Heimbecher said. “What we are doing is just an evolutionary step. Can it be revolutionary? Can it excite the consumer more than just higher resolution pictures?” How viewers will actually
receive an Ultra HD experience on large screens in the home was of paramount concern and needs to
be thought through, he stressed. “Does the production grammar have to change? At screen sizes above 55-inches at an average 2.7m viewing distance then conventional close-ups of people would appear larger than lifesize, which could be discomforting to viewers,” he suggested. “UHD means not just more
pixels but better pixels, with enhanced dynamic range for more natural contrasts and blacker blacks and 8 to12-bit colour depth to create an even more realistic picture quality. That may
be great for sports — but is this picture quality too perfect? All of a sudden we have reached a level of reality which could be unreal to viewers who are more comfortable with the filmic look.” Playing with the screen real
estate was another consideration. Why use the full screen coverage when, for a soccer match for example, the field of view could be covered in the lower half of the screen with other applications such as interactive points of view or director’s cut played in other portions. — Adrian Pennington
All photos: Jake Young
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