HPA Blog Alert

Ng of NBC Olympics Lays Out Argument for Content Protection via Fingerprinting

At HPA this morning Sheau Ng, VP, NBC Universal, discussed content protection during the Beijing Olympics and different approaches that are practical today. More »

TDVision Looks to Deliver 2K 3D to Theaters

Ethan Schur of TDVision Systems, a company that has a new 3D codec for theaters that will deliver 2K images.

TDVision Systems demonstrated a new 3D codec at HPA that promises to allow theaters to deliver a full 2K 3D image to movie theater screens. “Right now the current codecs display 3D images at 720×640 so we think this is a better alternative because it delivers full resolution,” says Ethan Schur, TDVision Systems director of product marketing. The system works by taking the 3D image and creating a signal called “2D Plus Delta” where Delta is the information that is different between the left and right eye signals. “At NAB we will introduce real-time encoding so we can handle sports content,” says Schur.
While the proprietary decoders provide 2D and true 3D output, any existing MPEG-2 systems can be used for storage, transport and 2D playback.

JVC LCD Panel Converts 2D Material to 3D

Dave Walton checking out JVC's latest LCD panel that can convert 2D to 3D.

HPA featured a number of demos from leading manufacturers and JVC demonstrated a 3D LCD monitor that can convert 2D images to 3D, solving one of the big problems facing a potential industry transition to 3D: filling the programming gap. “There is a huge lack of 3D content but with 2D to 3D conversion we can give a very pleasing 3D effect,” says Dave Walton, JVC assistant vice president.
Walton says the set works via sophisticated algorithms that look at the content and figure out whether the image should be shown with depth. “For example, it figures out where the sky should be and puts objects in focus in the foreground and things less in focus to the rear.”
There is no price yet for the set but it is designed to be a consumer-grade LCD set. The model number is LT-46SP89 and it is 1920×1080p capable and 46 inches wide. There is also a 32 inch version available.

ATSC 2.0 Promises to Deliver Multitude of New Services, Including 3D, 1080/60p, and ITV

Next-generation ATSC over-the-air transmission standards, aka ATSC 2.0, made its most public debut to date today at HPA as Graham Jones of NAB discussed new services that could be in homes by 2012.
“It’s a complete suite of next-generation services and new features designed to transition to a new class of DTV receiver,” said Jones. “But it needs the buy in from broadcasters, CE makers with compelling products, retailers to sell it and communicate what it means to consumers and then consumers to find it highly desirable and easy to understand.”
That could be a challenge given that the suite has 26 proposed features ranging from 1080p/60, 3D, advanced audio codecs, upconversion to 1080p, and more.
For now the ATSC has focused on three bundles of services: interactive television, 3D, and non-realtime services.
“A single set of 26 features was not realistic,” adds Jones. “This is the first time we’ve talked about this outside of ATSC membership and we’re looking for input.”
To learn more contact Graham at gjones@nab.org.

It’s Official: MPEG-4 h.264 Has Arrived

The EBU demonstrated the quality of MPEG-4 h.264 at HPA

The EBU’s Hans Hoffman reported at HPA today that EBU tests have found that MPEG-4 h.264 encoders have finally reached a level of performance that delivers on the promise of 50% bandwidth savings vs. MPEG-2. The EBU tested encoders from Ateme, Harmonic, Tandberg, Thomson, and Scientific-Atlanta.
“All of them performed very well and the 50% gain has been reached,” said Hoffman. “With some content it is even better than 50%.”
In terms of bandwidth needed for “critical material but not unduly so” performance recommendations are: 10.5 Mbps for 720p/50; 12.1 Mbps for 440×1080i/25; and 12.8 Mbps for 1920×1080p/25.

High Frame Production Key to Improving the HD Viewing Experience

The future of High Frame Rate acquistion and distribution was the focus of a presentation by Dr. Stephen Jolly, BBC research engineer, at HPA today. While current frame rates are a good match for small SD displays, Dr. Jolly says problems arise as consumer displays become larger and have more resolution. In fact, says Dr. Jolly, the higher the static resolution of a display the worse job it will do in processing moving images, a big problem for sports broadcasters. “What we want is a ball moving on TV to look like a ball,” explains Dr. Jolly as current frame rates cause varying degrees of motion blur. More »

BBC Dives Into 3D Synthetic Stereoscopic Productions

The BBC has been hard at work developing next-generation technologies for 3D production that can use 2D cameras and synthetically build a 3D experience. In fact, the technological developments can be found in soccer (okay, FOOTBALL) analysis systems developed by Piero that allow for viewers to swing around a play.

The potential for synthetic stereoscopy technology to be taken to the next level and allow for a 3D presentation to be built out of 2D is there. Peter Wilson of HDDC, a UK-based HD consulting firm, says 2D camera signals would be pumped into a computer that would then work out the “pose” of the camera (zoom, pan/tilt, focal length, etc.) and then pull out the images of the moving objects and built a multiview of those players. The system would get around issues like widening the interocular for sports, a move that creates a 3D effect but can make foreground objects to be scaled improperly by the brain. “When you widen the interocular for sports you screw the pooch,” says Wilson. “The brain says the background objects are in the proper scale and the objects in the foreground are wrong. That leads to the eye telling the brain that the 250-pound lineman is a midget.”

Synthetic stereoscopy would also allow 2D positions that Wilson says are not suitable for 3D production to be used on the 3D show.

Is Over-the-Air TV due for a Renaissance?

Is over-the-air broadcast ready for a resurgence of popularity? Consumer electronics analyst Pete Putnam seems to think it’s possible. In recent months he has seen an increase in emails from consumers who are cutting the cable chord, saving money, and spending their days watching over-the-air television and videos downloaded via the Internet.  “Given those emails over-the-air TV could become a big, big part of people’s lives again,” he said at HPA this morning. And with a seemingly imploding economy there might be much, much more cable chord cutting.

Digital Backbone Gives Sony Pictures New Technical, Business Flexibility

Sports leagues and networks aren’t the only ones grappling with the metadata challenge for tens of thousands of hours of content. Chris Cookson, president of Sony Pictures Technologies, laid out the studio’s vision of a future based around a new production backbone that takes IBM and Sony Electronics technologies and moving to a server-based pipeline of content creation. More »

ATSC, CEA Working to Make TV Receivers Less Prone to Lip Sync Woes

Lip sync errors coming out of broadcast and cable plants is one thing…but how about lip sync errors caused by poor receiver and set-top box software? The ATSC and CEA are nearing completion on some work that will take steps towards solving those issues. More »