PANELLISTS
❝ HDR accentuates the contrast on smaller screens , where you do not notice the increase in pixels 4K / UHD
brings as much .❞
18
April September 2012 2018
EBU conducts 4K / Ultra HD HFR tests
At last month ’ s European Championships in Berlin , the European Broadcasting Union ( EBU ) led trials with five EBU members and 19 industry partners of production workflows to shoot , process , record and distribute live 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) content , with high frame rate ( HFR ), high dynamic range ( HDR ) and next-generation audio ( NGA ). The trials , according to the EBU , involved the “ world ’ s first ” live distribution of 4K / UHD content with both HDR ( HLG / BT . 2100 ) and HFR ( 100 fps , 2160p100 ).
Blackmagic Design unveils DaVinci Resolve 15
The latest edition of Blackmagic Design ’ s professional editing , visual effects , motion graphics , colour correction and audio post-production software , is now available as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website . DaVinci Resolve 15 fully integrates visual effects and motion graphics , making it “ the world ’ s first ” solution to combine professional offline and online editing , colour correction , audio post production , multi-user collaboration and visual effects together in one software tool . DaVinci Resolve also adds an entirely new Fusion page with more than 250 tools for compositing , paint , particles , animated titles and more .
Next Month @ Creation
Post-production Editing and Colour Grading Systems
PANELLISTS
Dr Ahmad Zaki Mohd Salleh
Director Technical Operations TV Networks Media Prima
Phan Tien Dung
CTO Vietnam Digital Television
Mike Whittaker
Executive Vice-President and CTO , Asia-Pacific and the Middle East , Fox Networks Group Asia
HDR brings new dynamics to content production & consumptions
Whether broadcasters and content producers are working in 4K / Ultra HD or HD , it would appear that HDR is playing an increasingly key role in bringing the most immersive viewing experience to the home . Shawn Liew writes more .
While more and more viewers — even those of the sports persuasion — are embracing the concept of consuming their favourite content streamed over the Internet , it does not necessarily mean that they are willing to make major concessions when it comes to picture quality .
This , perhaps , goes some way to explaining why even traditional broadcasters are stepping up efforts to bring the best viewing experience to their audiences , beyond the TV screen . The BBC , for instance , streamed selected matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup live in 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) and high dynamic range ( HDR ) to UK-based audiences over the BBC iPlayer .
That , possibly , remains the high point of a journey that began in 2014 , when the BBC started to investigate how HDR could fit into its broadcast infrastructure . The British public broadcaster came to the conclusion that any approach could not rely on end-to-end metadata , as metadata
A more immersive viewing experience ? The BBC streamed selected matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup live in
4K / Ultra HD
( UHD ) and high dynamic range ( HDR ) to UK-based audiences over the BBC iPlayer . often gets lost or becomes out-of-sync with the content as it passes through the production chain .
The BBC also wanted the captured signal to be display-independent because a wide range of different displays and lighting conditions are used both in production environments and in the home . Finally , the BBC wanted an approach that was compatible with its current 10-bit infrastructure , and only required changes to the cameras and critical monitoring displays . This led the BBC and Japanese public broadcaster NHK to invent the Hybrid Log-Gamma ( HLG ) system for HDR , which is included in ITU-R BT . 2100 , the international standard for HDR programme production and exchange .
Designed to be a scene-referred system , the HLG signal represents relative light levels in the original scene , which allows pictures from a single mastering process or live production to be adapted to give the same artistic effect on brighter or darker screens at home . Only the display itself needs information about its own capabilities and environment to faithfully render the scene-referred signal , so metadata that describes the mastering display is not required . HLG also has native compatibility with standard dynamic range ( SDR ) TV within the same colour format , which can be used for 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) SDR displays .
The BBC ’ s long-term goal is also to develop a complete HDR ecosystem . This , the BBC says , starts with fundamental research into the human visual system , which then informs develop-
PHOTO CREDIT : THE BBC
❝ HDR accentuates the contrast on smaller screens , where you do not notice the increase in pixels 4K / UHD
brings as much .❞
— David Blackett , Group GM , Magna Systems and Engineering
ment of technical systems including format conversion techniques , HDR production guidelines and adaptation requirements for displays of different brightness .
HDR , the BBC adds , will offer a step-change in quality to viewers , making pictures more realistic and immersive . However , in order for HDR programmes to be enjoyed in the home , a complete broadcast infrastructure must be in place . HLG ’ s native compatibility allows much of the existing SDR infrastructure to be re-used for HDR .
From both a broadcast and end-user perspective , what does HDR truly bring ? APB asks David Blackett , group GM , Magna Systems and Engineering . He suggests that HDR brings another step forward in terms of quality . “ It also gives more of a 3D impression , without losing the social viewing aspect that 3D does when you are using glasses or a headset .”
In productions , Blackett believes that HDR can be a game-changer , translating into more depth in the blacks and whiter whites , along with a wider colour gamut ; this , in turn , results in more lighting options .
“ To make it work for you , make sure you do all your pre-shoot planning properly and fully take into account all of the extra ‘ angles ’ that HDR brings , such as more details , definition and focus , and how these will affect you and your production ,” he advises .
HDR , of course , has been associated