The Gentleman Magazine Issue 18 | December 2019 | Page 94

DEVELOPING AI SCALENET: ENABLING SEAMLESS,
HIGH-RESOLUTION 8K STREAMING
It’s official: We’ve entered the era of 8K TVs. Around the
world, sales of 8K displays are steadily increasing, and with TV
manufacturers constantly adding more offerings to the mix,
the 8K market is expected to continue to grow.
There are, however, a few challenges that need to be addressed
before viewers around the world will be able to enjoy 8K’s
stunning visuals in their entirety. First, more 8K content will
need to be produced, and second, network connections need
to be made capable of supporting the seamless streaming of 8K
movies and shows.
To address these issues, researchers from Samsung Research,
an advanced R&D hub within Samsung Electronics’ SET
Business, have developed an AI Codec known as AI ScaleNet.
First introduced at SDC19, this innovation enables the delivery
of 8K content on networks that typically support only 4K
speeds – without the need for additional infrastructure.
To learn more about AI ScaleNet’s development process and
potential applications, Samsung Newsroom interviewed
Kwangpyo Choi and Youngo Park – researchers from Samsung
Research’s Visual Technology team, and the first individuals to
suggest and develop this type of innovative technology.
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Supporting More 8K Content
AI ScaleNet utilizes deep learning technology to minimize data
loss during compression and enable 8K content to be streamed
on networks with lower bandwidth capabilities.
Here’s how it works, in a nutshell: 8K content is compressed to
4K quality using an AI downscaler and transmitted to the user’s
TV, which utilizes AI to upscale the content back to 8K quality.
When asked to describe the inspiration for the technology, Choi
specified a need for a new video compression and transmission
technology in order to accommodate the ever-evolving media
landscape, and to address related technical challenges.
“Multimedia content is rapidly moving online, so figuring out
how to overcome bandwidth limitations for UHD content
transmission has become a major task,” said Choi.
“With AI ScaleNet, users will be able to enjoy 8K-quality
content, even at lower bandwidths,” added Park. “In fact,
during periods of high network traffic, when speeds tend
to drop, viewers can still expect content to be presented at a
relatively higher quality.”
, Securing the Internet of Things”