Trade association UHD Spain has carried out a proof of concept trial of UHD-HDR broadcasting and next-generation audio (NGA), using 5G contribution, cloud mixing, 5G Broadcast, and the public internet for signal transport.
The association described the trial as a “milestone” that paves the way for the future of the technologies involved.
The trial involved a live concert by the singer Israel Fernández, held at the Real Observatorio Astronómico de Madrid.
The UHD workflow delivered HDR-HLG from the camera via 5G, the cloud, DTT (DVB-T2), satellite (DVB-S2), and the internet (OTT, HbbTV) simultaneously. Viewers could watch the concert on TV, PC, tablets and mobile devices through the official UHD Spain website.
The workflow also employed remote production, by including mixing and production processing in the cloud and PTZ cameras.
“This proof shows us one more way for live production,” said Emili Planas from Grup Mediapro and a member of UHD Spain’s board of directors. “In the not too distant future, the production model we have tested will become standard for covering live events at the highest UHD-HDR quality, using the facilities of 5G and delocalised operations through connected resources.”
The demonstration also included systems for monitoring and supervision of the transmitted signal in terms of radio frequency, protocols and video/audio quality, said UHD Spain.
UHD Spain members involved in the trial included SAPEC, RTVE, Grup Mediapro, Canon, TVU Networks, Ateme, Dolby, Fraunhofer IIS, Rohde & Schwarz, and Vestel.
“The experience of being able to see how a 5G network can be used to make contribution of UHD-HDR signals with enriched audio, upload them to the cloud to make a remote production, process them to be distributed by 5G Broadcast has been amazing, satisfying and during the process has allowed us to learn a lot about these technologies and their combined use,” said project coordinator Miguel Ángel Cristóbal.
“A test like this would not have been possible without the spirit of selfless collaboration and the enormous experience accumulated by the members of UHD Spain,” he added.
