The DVB Steering Board has now approved the latest specification for Ultra High Definition Television, UHD-1 Phase 2 that includes HDR, higher frame rates and object or scene based audio.
Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) is a global industry-led standards board made up of broadcasters, manufacturers, network operators, software developers, regulators and others that works to design open interoperable technical standards for the delivery of digital media and broadcast services.
DVB has hailed the new specification as a “major milestone for the industry, guaranteeing interoperability and enabling broadcasters and CE manufacturers to provide UHD-1 Phase 2 products and services.” and could mean that the first DVB UHD-1 Phase 2 services, that include the new features, would be available from next year.
The specification covers various elements for the improvement of video and audio quality for broadcast TV services including HDR. The DVB solution supports Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) and PQ (Perceptual Quantizer).
The new specification defines Higher Frame Rates (HFR), going beyond the current 50/60 Hz. For audio, DVB has added the latest Next Generation Audio (NGA) schemes supporting object- or scene-based audio. These new features can be combined with HD and UHD resolutions. The specification will be published as BlueBook A157 and will be passed to ETSI for formal publication as TS 101 154 v2.3.1.
Commenting on the new specification, DVB Chairman, Peter MacAvock said “Today’s approval of the specification is the result of enormous effort from the contributors, and further evidence of DVB’s leadership in the broadcast industry. DVB views the Phase 2 specification as a key enabler for exciting products and services.”
David Wood, Chair of the DVB Commercial Module for UHDTV said: “When they draw up the history of television, the agreement by the DVB Steering Board to the UHD-1 Phase 2 specification will surely be writ large. It marks the culmination of many years work by scores of DVB Member engineers, and is probably the tipping point for the new age of UHDTV.”
Staff Reporter
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