Ultra HD Delivering the next generation of TV
Experience Ultra HD Impressive colours and sharp details
The next generation of television is set to deliver a fascinating, immersive experience way beyond today s high definition (HD) TV. Viewers around the world value excellence and producers seek to deliver their content in the highest possible quality with Ultra HD. Ultra HD provides four times the resolution of today s HDTV, providing more dramatic action for sporting events and a more compelling experience for premium movies and documentaries. Using the latest satellite solutions for Ultra HD creates exciting new opportunities for both broadcasters and industry partners. Satellite broadcasting is the ideal way to provide Ultra HD, as it delivers sufficient bandwidth to all the DTH, cable and IP TV homes it serves. SES technology allows Ultra HD to be easily distributed to millions of homes over the coming decades in the same way it has driven HD to become the de facto standard in digital TV today. SES was at the heart of the development of HD in Europe and Ultra HD is the next opportunity to make a tremendous difference to the landscape of broadcasting. Developing the Ultra HD standards Unlike HD, which took twenty years to become established, Ultra HD has taken large leaps forward over the last year. There are still gaps in the eco-system that limit Ultra HD being fully implemented throughout the broadcast chain today, but equipment makers, network operators and broadcasters are all working together to soon roll out the technology. Market researchers predict that Ultra HD will develop quickly. Half a million TV sets will be sold in 2013 that can display the new technology, growing to more than 100m worldwide by 2020. 1 By that time, a third of all screen sales will be in Ultra HD and about 100 to 200 channels are expected to be broadcasting via satellite in Ultra HD. All the elements for Ultra HD are coming together. With the first demonstration broadcasts already made by SES last year, we are working closely with our technology partners as they develop the eco-system needed for a commercial roll-out. 1 Source: IHS Electronics & Media, Screen Digest Ultra HD brochure 2013 3
Technology With any broadcast technology bandwidth is key. Ultra HD provides screen resolutions up to 3840x2160, four times the number of pixels of today s HDTV. But with a new generation of compression and encoding technology, the bandwidth requirements of Ultra HD will quickly reach levels that will make it a compelling business opportunity for DTH broadcasters. At the heart of the move to Ultra HD is the new High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. This improves on the existing H.264 coding scheme that has allowed multiple HD channels to be carried by a single satellite transponder. HEVC, also called H.265, is about twice as efficient as the previous technology, allowing an Ultra HD channel to be carried in a 20 Mbit/s stream and making it a viable proposition today for satellite broadcasting. Improvements in compression technology may drive down bandwidth requirements further, allowing Ultra HD also to become available in bandwidth-constrained TV infrastructure. SD HD Ultra HD H H H 20 30 55 4,8 x H 3,0 x H 1,5 x H Recommended viewing distance
SD HD Full HD 4x the number of pixels of today s HDTV. SD = 720 x 576 px HD = 1280 x 720 px Full HD = 1920 x 1080 px Ultra HD = 3840 x 2160 px Ultra HD Ultra HD brochure 2013 5
Timeline to market readiness Satellite capacity is available today to broadcast Ultra HD to millions of homes The roll out of Ultra HD services depends on the availability of the consumer and professional technology, the support of broadcasters as well as the evolution of standards. Broadcasters are already using Ultra HD cameras to capture events or record documentaries and feature films - content is increasingly becoming available in this format. The choice of large flat screen TV sets (55 onwards) available to support Ultra HD is growing fast. Experiencing the extraordinary quality of these TV sets in the retail chain will start to increase the appetite of consumers for this technology. Digital satellite set top boxes that support Ultra HD are already under development. These will need new silicon decoder chips that are currently in development, but the boxes are expected to be launched in 2014. 1 With the HEVC compression standard agreed in January by ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG), the encoders used to convert the raw Ultra HD video into broadcast streams are now being developed. SES and Ultra HD SES has been at the forefront of new broadcast technologies for almost thirty years since the commercial arrival of digital DTH in Europe in 1996 and HDTV in 2005. SES now reaches 276 million homes worldwide and transmits more than 1,400 HD TV channels that s 28% of all HDTV channels broadcast via satellite worldwide. Out of the 35 million European satellite HD homes, 80 % are served by SES. 2 Based on our experience and the trust of our partners, SES will further help the eco-system for Ultra HD to develop and ultimately allow TV viewers around the world to enjoy the best possible experience of Ultra HD via satellite. Looking ahead Ultra HD is in the starting blocks, ready to roll out to consumers over the next few years. Major sports events such as the FIFA WOLRD CUP 2014 in Brazil or Olympic games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will be key drivers and will provide an opportunity to promote new services to premium customers. All the elements needed to build the broadcast chain and the wider eco-system are being developed to support a successful launch of Ultra HD services. SES is playing a key role in bringing the technology, broadcasters, content providers, equipment makers and retailers together to provide the next generation of TV. Dramatically enhancing the viewing experience with Ultra HD will provide households with compelling content for decades to come. 1 Source: IHS Electronics & Media, Screen Digest 2 Source: SES Satellite Monitor
2012 First Ultra HD screens became available Cameras are sold that can capture content in 4K resolution Jan 2013 Mid 2013 2014 2016 By 2020 HEVC codec was ratified by ITU-T Technical HDMI standard under development Set top boxes and chipsets to be launched Expected commercial launch 100-200 UHD channels broadcasted via satellite Image is property of Sony Professional Europe. Ultra HD brochure 2013 7
SES head office: Château de Betzdorf L-6815 Betzdorf Grand Duchy of Luxembourg For more information about SES, visit www.ses.com or email info@ses.com Printed in April 2013. This brochure is for informational purposes only. SES reserves the right to change the information at any time, and assumes no responsibility for any errors, omissions or changes. All brands and product names used may be registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.