UHD Spain used this year’s 4K HDR Summit in Seville to set out plans for a pan-European UHD association and to publish new research showing that Spanish viewers remain confused about Ultra High Definition.
Speaking in the opening session, UHD Spain president Víctor Sánchez highlighted the association’s growth ahead of its fifth anniversary in 2026 and pointed to accelerating UHD deployment in Spanish broadcasting, with the two main private broadcasters expected to follow RTVE’s 2024 move into regular UHD transmissions next year. He argued that UHD is critical for more efficient spectrum use, better audio-visual quality and stronger viewer engagement, particularly for mass live events.
A joint panel featuring Sánchez, Ultra HD Forum Italia president Tonio Di Stefano and Forum Audiovisuel Numérique (FAVN) president Jacques Donat-Bouillud announced the start of work on a new European UHD association. The three national groups will collaborate on a common platform to promote UHD take-up and coordinate technical and policy initiatives across the continent.
UHD Spain also presented the first results from its 2025 consumer survey on awareness and perception of UHD. Vice-president Xavi Redón said the findings show “general lack of awareness” of the term UHD, with 4K the best-known concept (recognised by 75% of respondents). The study found that 65% of those surveyed sit less than 3 metres from a TV set of 44 inches or larger – conditions the association says are “ideal” for enjoying the benefits of UHD, if the technology is better explained. New explainer content, a White Paper and work on technologies such as 5G and AI are planned for 2026.
A summit panel on “UHD comes to Spanish regional television stations” underlined both interest and constraints at regional level, with Canal Sur, EiTB, Televisión de Galicia and Telemadrid outlining early UHD and HDR initiatives but warning of spectrum and resource limitations.
The event’s opening day also included an emotional tribute to two leading figures in Spain’s UHD development, UHD Spain founder Ricardo Medina and academic and technologist José Manuel Menéndez, whose roles in early 4K/HDR trials, HbbTV deployment and the association’s UHD White Paper were described as pivotal to Spain’s current position in next-generation broadcasting.
