The EBU has given details of the Ultra High Definition test it is running alongside Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, Abertis Telecom, SAPEC, Sony, Apuntolapospo, UPM and URL La Salle.
The broadcast at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is being promoted as the “first Ultra High Definition 1 (UHDTV 1) DVB-T2 broadcast”.
The terrestrially distributed transmission, using 3840×2160 pixel resolution known as UHD-1 – four times the resolution of current HDTV services – crystallizes the practical feasibility of future UHDTV services.
It also demonstrates that the DVB-T2 standard is a successful, spectrum efficient way of carrying such high-quality transmissions.
Delegates can view shots of the Catalan capital encoded in H.264/AVC at 35 Mbit/s on an 84-inch screen.
EBU Technology & Innovation Director Lieven Vermaele said the Barcelona demonstration was a big step towards greater spectrum efficiency and a much enhanced home viewing experience.
“The EBU is committed to exploring the potential of new transmission technologies and new video formats,” he said. “Through our support for this demonstration we are helping to ensure that the needs of public service broadcasters are taken into account as together we shape the future of television.”
In parallel with the UHD-1 transmissions, the demonstration partners are also taking the opportunity to test the performance of T2-Lite, a version of the DVB-T2 standard optimized for mobile terminals.
