Amsterdam, Paris, 8 September 2016 – Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) announces the launch from the HOTBIRD video neighbourhood of an Ultra HD channel showing HDR (High Dynamic Range) content using HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) technology, the new HDR standard developed by the BBC and NHK. Eutelsat has teamed up with 4EVER-2, the French collaborative project on Ultra HD, ATEME and Samsung to show the spectacular appeal of HDR Ultra HD at IBC.
Brighter brights, deeper shadows, more saturated colours
High Dynamic Range (HDR) television creates richer and more dynamic images by increasing the contrast ratio between the lightest and darkest areas of the screen and increasing the volume of colours a screen can display. The result is a picture that is rich in detail, with colours that surge from the screen, generating a strong feeling of realism.
Visitors to Eutelsat’s booth at IBC will be invited to watch Ultra HD images encoded using HLG, with HEVC encoding by ATEME. HLG, that was recently adopted by the ITU as an international standard uses a single distribution bitstream which can be decoded by HDR receivers and also by legacy Standard Dynamic (SDR) displays, providing broadcasters with a way to accelerate time-to-market of their Ultra HD content.
Called “HOTBIRD 4k2 HDR”, the new channel is broadcasting across Europe from Eutelsat’s flagship HOTBIRD neighbourhood. It is showing sports, cultural and wildlife content from the 4EVER-2 consortium, dBW Communication, The Explorers Network and RAICom. The channel is broadcast at 50 frames per second, with 10 bits of colour depth (one billion colours) in the BT2020 environment. Content will be shown on Samsung’s newest Quantum dot SUHD TV that is capable of producing up to one billion colours and offering more than 1000-nit brightness.
Elevating Ultra HD to new heights
Michel Chabrol, Eutelsat’s Senior Vice President New TV Formats, said: “This new channel will benefit players in the broadcasting chain who are seeking to acquire expertise in HDR Ultra HD broadcasts. Since Ultra HD blazed a trail three years ago Eutelsat’s strategy has been to support our customers as they embrace the race to the highest image quality. HDR is the newest step in this adventure and one that gives new meaning to the industry ambition to deliver a spectacular and immersive viewing experience.”
How to watch HOTBIRD 4k2 HDR:
HOTBIRD (13° East)
Frequency: 12015 MHz
Horizontal polarization
Symbol rate: 30000
DVB-S2, 8PSK, FEC 5/6
HEVC encoding at 30 Mbit/s
Where to meet Eutelsat at IBC, from September 9 to 13: Hall 1D.59
About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 39 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.
Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.
Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com
Press
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Investors and analysts
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