uhd2808_news 01/09/2015 11:58 Page 4
ATEME boosts Fox
UHD with HDR
ideo compression solutions
specialist ATEME has worked
with Twentieth Century Fox to
enhance development of the TITAN
Software Transcoder, enabling
distribution of the first ever Ultra HD
(UHD) with High Dynamic Range (HDR)
movies for home viewing.
The pair say the collaborative technology
enables “stunning” picture quality and true-tolife colours that capture the thrilling theatrical
V
specifications and standards evolve, ATEME’s
flexibility in modifying and implementing new
features, combined with TITAN’s high video
quality, enabled Fox to be the first to market
with a new viewing experience.”
TITAN is multi-codec and format video
transcoding software for Live, OTT and File
mezzanine, VOD, Post-Production, Playout and
Archive applications. TITAN is easy to
configure and integrate into any existing
workflow, including integration with CA, DRM,
experience for consumers at home. ATEME
asserts that UHD with HDR will change the
future of entertainment, and the development
of the TITAN Software Transcoder is an
indicator that the future is now here.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
says it continues to enhance viewing
experiences with the release of Life of Pi and
Exodus: Gods and Kings in UHD with HDR.
The studio has also confirmed that all future
Twentieth Century Fox theatrical releases will
be finished in UHD.
“Twentieth Century Fox has worked closely
with ATEME to fine-tune the TITAN transcoder
and add custom features,” said Hanno Basse,
chief technology officer of Twentieth Century
Fox, and president of the UHD Alliance. “As the
and Digital Ad Insertion. TITAN includes 24/7
automation and workflow capabilities and can
be deployed on-premises and/or in the cloud.
“We are excited to partner with Fox in
setting a new standard for premium video
quality,” said Michel Artieres, CEO of ATEME.
“Continuous investment in video compression
research is in ATEME’s DNA. Our commitment
to standardisation bodies, as well as tight
cooperation with our ecosystem partners, has
positioned us as a trusted technology advisor to
Fox Home Entertainment. We are
excited to further demonstrate our
leadership in the implementation of the
HDR standards as they are released and
look forward to widespread availability
of UHD with HDR content.”
4K panel shipments up 61%
Worldwide 4K LCD TV shipments
rose up 60.8% sequentially in Q215,
reaching around 9.2m units,
according to Taipei-based MIC.
Korean vendors' share rose to 61%
from 54%, with volume growing 80%
sequentially. Samsung enjoyed the
highest growth at 105% with 3.3m
volume, widening its gap with LGD
and becoming the world's No.1 panel
vendor for 4K LCD TVs. The majority
of Samsung's shipped panels were
55- and 48-inch, together accounting
6 EUROMEDIA UHD Special
for 70% of its total.
According to Brian Chen, senior
industry analyst with MIC, the
significant growth can be attributed to
changes in the company's pricing
strategies, with Samsung previously
positioning its TVs as high-end
products, hence a higher price than
other brands. Lowering prices to
enhance its shipment volume and
market share has given it a significant
increase in TV sales performance and
panel shipments.
Harmonic
powers live,
full-frame 4K
V
ideo delivery infrastructure
specialist Harmonic has
confirmed that Japanese cable
TV operator EHIME CATV has
deployed Harmonic's Electra X3
advanced media processor to support
a trial of the country's first live, fullframe 4K Ultra HD (UHD) channel.
Utilising the Electra X3 media
processor to encode UHD content using
the HEVC Main 10 codec, EHIME CATV
can deliver real-time 2160p60 video to
subscribers' set-top boxes (STBs) at low
bit rates, while maintaining video quality
targets. According to Harmonic, the
Electra X3 media processor's advanced
compression technology provides EHIME
CATV with superior video quality while
offering low total cost of ownership
(TCO), transforming the live
entertainment experience for EHIME
CATV viewers.
“We are the first video infrastructure
provider to offer a fully converged
platform for broadcast and OTT delivery
of UHD content,” noted Dario Choi,
regional vice president of sales, Asia
Pacific, Harmonic. “The Electra X3 media
processor offers an innovative approach
to encoding, enabling operators like
EHIME CATV to deliver full-frame,
broadcast-ready content with the utmost
video quality, to drive new revenue-
generating services.”
At the heart of the Electra X3 media
processor is the Harmonic PURE
Compression Engine, an advanced
encoding technology that supports
resolutions up to 2160p60 with the
HEVC 10-bit codec for broadcast and
OTT multiscreen delivery. By providing
high-quality, low-bandwidth HEVC
encoding of UHD content for EHIME
CATV's live broadcast services, the
Electra X3 helps the operator deliver
what Harmonic claims is “amazing” video
quality to subscribers at sub 20-Mbps bit
rates from a cost-effective 2-RU
appliance.