Ilham Ghazi Radiocommunication Bureau 1

HDTV "This is a remarkable achievement by Working Party A. It represents the culmination of over fifteen years of discussion on high definition television production standards. This agreement shows the unique effectiveness of the ITU-R as a worldwide forum for standards in broadcasting." Mr Krivocheev (1997) 2

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HDTV History 1972 the historic Contribution of Japan to initiate the studies on HDTV France suggested to launch studies on digital TV : HDTV first demonstrated in Europe, at the General Assembly of the EBU in Killarney, Ireland : Rec. ITU-R 709 offered two specifications with equal weight and included a note of reservation by the USA. The limited standardization of analog HDTV in the 1990s did not lead to global HDTV adoption as technical and economic constraints at the time did not permit HDTV to use bandwidths greater than normal television : Digital HDTV systems demonstrated in Alexandria (USA), by the HD-DIVINE consortium and other organizations in Europe showed that narrow-band transmission of digital HDTV and digital multiprogram TV in 6, 7 and 8 MHz channels (conception 6-7-8) is not a fantasy but a reality (Recommendation ITU-R BT.798) Adoption of a new version of ITU-R 709 SG 11 for HDTV programme production  a new chapter in the worldwide harmonization of HDTV It was possible to unanimously approve Recommendation ITU-R BT.709 in its current version. It represents what is recognized today as an outstanding achievement of the ITU: the specifications for a single worldwide standard for HDTV production and program exchange : the Common Image Format (CIF). 4

HD-CIF The format is characterized by using a single matrix of samples (1080 by 1920), irrespective of the field and frame rate used.(can be used at 50 Hz or 60 Hz filed rate) This matrix thus becomes a unique format for image capture for high-definition pictures for any application 5

The road to worldwide use of a unique type of equipment for HDTV programme production was opened. 6

DTT era… After a great work done in specifying and adjusting systems’ parameters for digital terrestrial TV and achieving a consensus with an active participation of WG 11A, the draft ITU-R Recommendation BT.1306 “Error-correction, data framing, modulation and emission methods for digital terrestrial television broadcasting” was prepared in February

RRC for Region 1 The RRC04 and RRC-06 (digital terrestrial broadcasting) : The use of the Digital Plan provided capabilities to the parallel introduction of the multiprogram SDTV and HDTV which is extremely important today in the new environment. 8

2007  25 years later 9

Conclusions The approval of Recommendation ITU-R BT.709 triggered a high level of activity on the part of manufacturers and broadcasters to develop the tools and the know-how to implement extensive HDTV program production. Since then Recommendation ITU-R BT.709 has remained unchanged, thus allowing manufacturers to produce equipment at an ever-lower cost. Such equipment today costs even less than any other comparable equipment for television systems of inferior quality, thus demonstrating the benefits offered by international broadcasting standards, and the success of the ITU in its role as an international standard-setting body. The ITU-R work in the field of HDTV represents a truly “global approach” with the necessary harmonization, which provided the creation of the worldwide foundation for HDTV introduction and development. 10

11 “UHDTV is an earth-shaking development in the world of television,” “Watching UHDTV in the near future will be a breath taking experience, and I look forward to it.” ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré

UHDTV- continuation of HDTV? The ITU-R Recommendation (BT : Parameter values for ultra-high definition television systems for production and international programme exchange) lays out the quality standards for UHDTV in two steps. The advances made with each of these quality steps are roughly similar to the step from the old ‘standard definition television’ to ‘high definition television (HDTV)’. HDTV pictures today have the equivalent of between 1-2 megapixels. The first level of UHDTV picture levels has the equivalent of about 8 megapixels (3 840 x image system), and the next level comes with the equivalent of about 32 megapixels (7 680 x image system). Also called ‘4K’ and ‘8K’ UHDTV systems. 12

Further work UHDTV A range of different resolutions/proposals have been discussed but ITU hopes to make 4K and 8K exact multiples of today’s Full HD standard to avoid unnecessary scaling. The proposed standards for the new 4K and 8K formats include support for a larger color gamut as well as support for 120 frames per second broadcast – far higher than today’s TV standards. ITU has played the ball and now it is up to the TV manufacturers to make a move. The proposed standards have not been finalized but this is an important first step. 4K and 8K is also often referred to as UHDTV (Ultra High Definition Television). 13

Good luck to the HDTV in Europe. Good luck the HDTV all over the world. Remarks by Prof. Mark Krivocheev, Honorary Chairman of ITU-R Study Group 6 and Former Chairman of ITU-R (CCIR) SG 11 Good luck the UHDTV, 3DTV, DTV in Europe and all over the world. 14

Ilham Ghazi ITU/BR