DVB Steering Board approves commercial requirements for next Ultra HD phase


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| 19 November 2015




The DVB Steering Board has given the thumbs up to the commercial requirements for the next phase of Ultra HD, thus allowing the technical work on the specification to progress.



The original Ultra HD specs were set in in 2012 with a potential list of new features for future television (ITU-R BT.2020.) Since then, DVB has developed, and continues to develop, systems to allow appropriate features to be practically delivered to the public. With what is being called UHD-1 Phase 2 delivery format, the DVB board claims that a major milestone for television has now been reached.

Among the key elements of the new standard is the capability to provide images with a high dynamic range (HDR), which is seen as a major potential gain in image quality, said to add ‘sparkle’ to the image.

Other new features may be available for Ultra HD in the same timetable such as next generation audio offering a number of new options for sound. A further potential new feature is the capability to provide images with sharper moving objects through a higher frame rate or HFR. The DVB committee warns though that development of practical consumer equipment for this feature may take longer than others, even as long as several years after.

“This is a major achievement for DVB and the television industry,” said DVB chairman, Phil Laven. “We now have a plan for the evolution of television into the age of Ultra HD Television. It’s an exciting future that will bring a new quality of experience to television”.