Super Hi-Vision

Super Hi-Vision, also known as Ultra High Definition Video, UHDV, Ultra High Definition Television, UHDTV and UHD is an experimental digital video format, currently proposed by NHK of Japan, the BBC, and RAI.

Super Hi-Vision's main specifications:
* Resolution: 7,680 × 4,320 pixels (16:9) (approximately 33 megapixels)
* Bits depth: 10 bit per channel
* Colorimetry: Rec. 709
* Frame rate: 60 frame/s. (progressive)
* Audio: 22.2 channels
** 9 — above ear level (top layer)
** 10 — ear level (middle layer)
** 3 — below ear level (bottom layer)
** 2 — low frequency effects
* Bandwidth: 21 GHz frequency band
** 600 MHz, 500~6600 Mbit/s bandwidth

The new format with a resolution of 7,680 × 4,320 pixels is four times as wide and four times as high (for a total of 16 times the pixel resolution) as existing HDTV, which has a maximum resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will be starting a public-private partnership to develop technology for UHDV in the hopes of setting an international standard for Super Hi-Vision in addition to broadcasting with it beginning in 2015. [cite web|url = http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080114TDY01305.htm|title = Govt, private firms to team on Super Hi-Vision|accessdate = 2008-01-15|date = 2008-01-14|publisher = Yomiuri Shimbun]

Experimental technology

Because this format is highly experimental, NHK researchers had to build their own prototype from scratch. In the system demonstrated in September 2003, they used an array of 16 HDTV recorders to capture the 18-minute-long test footage.

The camera itself was built with four 2.5 inch (64 mm) CCDs each with a resolution of only 3840 × 2048. Using two CCDs for green and one each for red and blue, they then used a spatial pixel offset method [The resulting lines in the image alternate between pixels from the green-1 and red CCDs, and pixels from the blue and green-2 CCDs.] to bring it to 7680 × 4320. [cite paper |url=http://www.nhk.or.jp/digital/en/technical_report/pdf/ibc200301.pdf |title=Ultrahigh-Definition Video System with 4000 Scanning Lines |format=PDF |author=M. Kanazawa, "et al". |date=2003 |publisher=NHK |accessdate=2008-03-12]

Recently Aptina Imaging announced the introduction of a new CMOS Image sensor specifically designed for NHK super Hi vision project. [cite paper |url=http://www.aptina.com/news/press/aptina_imaging_introduces_new_high_performance_cmos_sensor_for_high_definition_broadcasting_video_camera/ |title=Aptina Imaging introduces new high performance cmos sensor for high definition broadcasting video camera]

The system was demonstrated at Expo 2005, Aichi, Japan, the NAB 2006 and NAB 2007 conferences, Las Vegas, and at IBC 2006, Amsterdam, Netherlands. A review of the NAB 2006 demo was published in a Broadcast Engineering e-newsletter. [cite web |url=http://broadcastengineering.com/newsletters/hd_tech/20060502/ultra-hd-interest-20060502/ |title=Ultra HD draws crowds, interest at NAB2006 |publisher=BroadcastEngineering |date=May 2, 2006 |accessdate=2008-03-12]

In November 2005 NHK demonstrated a live relay of Super Hi-Vision (UHDV) program over a distance of 260 km by a fiber optic network. Using dense wavelength division multiplex (DWDM), 24 gigabit speed was achieved with a total of 16 different wavelength signals. On December 31, 2006, NHK demonstrated a live relay of their annual K%C5%8Dhaku Uta Gassen over IP from Tokyo to a 450 inch (11.4 m) screen in Osaka. Utilizing a codec developed by NHK, the video was compressed from 24 Gbit/s to 180–600 Mbit/s and the audio was compressed from 28 Mbit/s to 7–28 Mbit/s. [cite web|url = http://www.nhk.or.jp/digital/en/super_hi/03_2_super.html|title = Super Hi-Vision live relay over IP|accessdate = 2008-01-15|date = 2007-04-03|publisher = NHK] Uncompressed, a 20 minute broadcast would require roughly 3.5Tb of storage.

In another indoor demonstration at the NHK open house, the Super Hi-Vision signal was compressed to a 250 Mbit MPEG2 stream. This was later input to a 300 mhz wide band modulator and broadcasted using a 500 mb using QPSK modulation. This "on the air" transmission had a limited range (less than 2 metres), but show the feasibility of a satellite transmission in the 36.000 km orbit.

Three standards deal with Super Hi-vision:
* ITU BT 1201
* ITU 1769
* SMPTE 2036

The BBC also appears to be interested in the technology. During IBC 2008 Japan's NHK, Italy's RAI and the BBC (with various partners) demonstrated the first ever public live transmission of Super Hi-Vision, from London to the conference site in Amsterdam. [cite web|url = http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1058514|title = IBC Plans Two HD Firsts|accessdate = 2008-10-03|date = 2008-09-18|publisher = AVS Forums] [cite web|url = http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/05/live_superhd_tv_to_debut_at_ibc.html|title = Live super-HD TV to debut at IBC|accessdate = 2008-10-03|date = 2008-05-27|publisher = Broadcast Now]

In addition it was demonstrated at the BBC's Media Centre in West London in early October, 2008.

The BBC has been looking into the use of its Dirac (codec) with Super Hi-Vision.

See also

Related technologies
* 22.2 (the audio component of UHDV)
* HDTV
* MPEG

Notes and references

External links

Official sites
* [http://www.nhk.or.jp/digital/en/super_hi/index.html NHK Super Hi-Vision]
* [http://www.nhk.or.jp/strl/english/index.html NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories]
* [http://www.aptina.com Aptina Imaging] () Video
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7617702.stm The TV format to replace HD] BBC News OnlineArticles
* [http://www.ultrahdtv.net What is Ultra HDTV?] An in-depth look at Super Hi-Vision technology
* [http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/Ultra-high-resolution-television-UHDV-prototype.html Ultra high resolution television (UHDV) prototype] CD Freaks
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/03/technology/circuits/03next.html?ex=1401595200&en=935183cee9a4bd49&ei=5007 Just Like High-Definition TV, but With Higher Definition] The New York Times
* [http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=173402762 Japan demonstrates next-gen TV broadcast] Electronic Engineering Times
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5335870.stm Europe gets glimpse of HD future] BBC News Online
* [http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132289-pg,1/article.html Researchers craft HDTV's successor] PC World (magazine)
* [http://www.ebu.ch/en/technical/trev/trev_2008-Q2_nhk-ultra-hd.pdf Super Hi-Vision — research on a future ultra-HDTV system ] Masayuki Sugawara, EBU Technical Review