2 EDITORIAL

In a digital world populated by multiple connected devices , and characterised by demanding viewers , innovative technologies can act as key enablers in allowing broadcasters to work more efficiently , or to create more compelling content for their audiences .

IP , for instance , can help broadcasters redefine their workflows , identify their audiences more accurately , and create more cost-effectiveness in the long term .

If IP can be analogised as the unsung hero in the background , then perhaps 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) can be seen as the star basking in the limelight — the technology manifested directly in what viewers see on their screens , the one that creates the ‘ wow ’ factor .

When executed correctly , there is no question that 4K / UHD can produce stunning imagery . Unfortunately , that is not the case in most instances . In order to enjoy the increased resolution offered by 4K / UHD , the dimension of your TV set matters , as does your viewing distance , will have to come into play . How many households in the developing countries in Asia can afford big TV sets and spacious living rooms ?

Enter HDR , HFR and WCG , which are supposed to eliminate screen sizes and viewing distances from the equation , and which are all features DVB has included in the UHD-1 Phase 2 specification .

When APB asked Dr Peter Siebert , executive director of the DVB Project , which approach best suits broadcasters , particularly those in Asia- Pacific , he stressed that broadcasters are free to use either 4K / UHD or HD resolutions in combination with HDR , HFR and WCG , depending on their requirements .

Dr Siebert , however , highlighted that 4K / UHD is more expensive to implement , and terrestrial networks currently do not have the capacity to support a high number of 4K / UHD services .

And serious thought must go into the viability of 4K / UHD in Asia-Pacific , where many countries have yet to complete the analogue switchover . It is hard , if not impossible , to see any country leapfrogging directly from SD to 4K / UHD .

For broadcasters who are already transmitting in HD ( which , by Asian standards , most would have not done so for more than five years ), will they be willing to invest heavily in a complete revamp to 4K / UHD , as Dr Ahmad Zaki Mohd Salleh , group GM , engineering , Media Prima , has asked . The prohibitive cost of 4K / UHD , he says , makes HD + HDR a much more attractive proposition .

When compared to 4K / UHD , HD + HDR does appear to represent a relatively risk-free investment for Asian broadcasters , and if demonstrations at trade shows are an accurate indicator , the combination provides comparable quality to 4K / UHD by itself .

Another fan of HD + HDR is Singapore terrestrial broadcaster and media company MediaCorp . The bandwidth needed for transmission of HDR metadata is very small and Goh Kim Soon , senior vice-president , broadcast engineering , Media- Corp , believes it can be accommodated in our existing distribution system .

This is not to suggest that 4K / UHD should be discarded out of hand . Many broadcasters have successfully launched 4K / UHD channels , including those in South Korea and Japan .

However , HD + HDR does offer an alternative , and a very viable one at that , for broadcasters in Asia-Pacific .

SHAWN LIEW MANAGING EDITOR

November 2017 ( volume 34 issue 9 )

EDITORIAL managing editor Shawn Liew , shawn @ editecintl . com contributing editor ( technology ) Karl K Rossiter , karl @ editecintl . com contributing editor Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk senior reporter Josephine Tan , josephine @ editecintl . com

CORRESPONDENTS

■ India Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk

■ USA Mike Feazel , mfeazel @ gmail . com

PRODUCTION production editor Zuraini Ridzwan , zuraini @ editecintl . com sub-editor Genevieve Chan , genevieve @ editecintl . com senior multimedia designer Raymund Jaudian , raymund @ editecintl . com multimedia designer Waldomar Zuniga , waldomar @ editecintl . com ad / office administrator Irene Lok , irene @ editecintl . com accounts manager Tan Hui Min , huimin @ editecintl . com

MARKETING director - sales & marketing Jessie Tan , jessie @ editecintl . com manager - sales & marketing Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com

CIRCULATION & PROMOTIONS Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com

PROJECT COORDINATOR Jotham Tobiah Lim , apb @ editecintl . com

PUBLISHING publisher / editorial director Andrew Yeo , andrew @ editecintl . com

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