EBU Demos @ IBC 2013
As usual our stand at IBC will feature cutting edge technology demonstrations based on the work of our strategic programmes and project groups, with support from EBU Members and key industry players.
MORE IMMERSIVE MEDIA
• High Frame Rates: The EBU believes higher frame rates will be one of the crucial factors for the success for UHDTV. IBC visitors will be able to assess the impact that higher frame rates have on content and learn how the EBU is contributing to research on the most suitable parameters.
• HEVC: Last year we showed some of the first attempts to encode UHD-1 content with HEVC. At IBC 2013 we will show the sequences we now use for subjective comparisons of H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC, at various bit rates. We will also demonstrate the potential benefits of moving from 8 bit to 10 bit HEVC, delivering even better image quality at the same bit rate.
• Binaural audio: More and more media consumption takes place on portable devices where headphones are central to the experience. This opens up fresh possiblities for broadcasters to take advantage of binaural audio techniques to deliver a highly immersive listening experience, with or without images. Hear some examples of what's possible on the EBU stand.
FLEXIBLE & EFFICIENT PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
• Fully Networked Studio : We are pleased to host this demonstration from the BBC R&D team, showing how a fully networked production environment is possible, with high bit rate signals being exchanged in real time. HD-SDI interfaces would be no longer required as the signals are handled seamlessly, independent of the pixel raster of the image format.
• Quality Control: The move to an era of file-based production requires a new approach to the crucial process of quality control. At IBC we will introduce the EBU's work in this domain, showing the set of QC criteria developed for vendors to integrate in products to ensure robust, automated processes. Links with the FIMS project will also be shown, delivering the interfaces needed for quality assurance in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) environment.
• Broadcasting from the Cloud: The EBU has been working on a prototype cloud infrastructure, based on entirely on open source software. Virtualised services are used for encoding and distribution, in a scalable environment that makes use of both private and public clouds. This work has revealed many potential use cases as well as architectural and technical solutions that would be of interest to broadcasters and service providers.
FUTURE RADIO NOW
• Hybrid, Digital & Mobile : More and more broadcasters are switching on hybrid radio services, both on digital and analogue. We'll show some of the services available around Europe now. But the biggest potential lies in packaging radio as an integrated, hybrid app in smartphones and tablets. We'll demonstrate what's possible with existing technology.