Japan demonstrates next-gen TV broadcast

Aiming at next-generation broadcasting, Japan Broadcast Corporation (NHK) has demonstrated a live relay of a 4x x 8k resolution Super Hi-Vision program connecting a 260-km distance by a fiberoptic network.

NHK's next-generation broadcasting system can convey the sensation of reality to viewers. Super Hi-Vision is the provisional format for that purpose, achieving 7,680 x 4,320 pixels.

It already demonstrated the images of Super Hi-Vision at the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan, held from March to September in Aichi this year using a preliminary prepared video footage.

NHK developed a Super Hi-Vision camera equipped with 8 megapixel CCD image sensors that can take 4k x 8k images. In the field test, it sent the two cameras to a sea park and sent baseband signals without image compression using an fiberoptic network formed by multiple network companies.

The signal of the total 24Gbps was divided into 161.5Gbps HD-SDI signals to sent using the D-WDM (dense wavelength division multiplex) method.

"Super Hi-Vision has huge information and was difficult to transmit. Using 16 waves on optic fiber, we succeeded a live relay over a long distance. This means that Super Hi-Vision proved the possibility of being a future TV broadcasting technology," said Mikio Maeda, senior research engineer of the laboratory.

- Yoshiko Hara

EE Times