On the second day of the meeting of the EBU's senior elected body for technology, the EBU Technical Committee, the group debated what its priority future work should be. No one can be sure which media systems will prove the most important in the years ahead, but if you have a plan it is a start. The DVB Project is developing a successor digital terrestrial television system, which will combine a wide range of uses, including broadcasting to 'handheld' receivers. Should the system, DVB-NGH, be just a sophisticated broadcast system or more of an extension of systems for wireless broadband? This is as yet undecided in the DVB project. The Technical Committee will continue to contribute to this debate, and is offering its suggestions.
3DTV and UHDTV
Two of new most exciting new media systems are 3DTV, and, in the future, Ultra High Definition Television (UHDTV). Though 3DTV is already on the air in a simple form (the 'Frame Compatible' system) this approach may not be the best for 'free to air broadcasters, and the TC discussed how best to contribute to the DVB studies of a 'Phase 2' 3DTV system that might provide more resolution, or might be compatible with a terrestrial 2D service. UHDTV can provide 16-32 times the definition of today's HDTV services, and all those who have a chance to see are really stunned at the quality. The Technical Committee will be gathering information about the requirements and options for such systems over the coming months, though the broadcasting of such services will be decades away.
Green is go
A new area that the Technical Committee discussed for the first time is that of 'energy saving' or 'green broadcasting'. How can all parts of the broadcasting chain be arranged to save as much energy as possible? It seems that both broadcasting itself and programme making could use a set of 'best practice guidelines', and the TC will be working on this over the coming year.
EBU Technical Committee elected Members