Intelsat and Ericsson have partnered to successfully demonstrate true 4K Ultra High Definition, end-to-end video transmission via satellite, to Turner Broadcasting’s Atlanta facilities. This was the first satellite transmission of its kind over North America.
During the demonstration, Intelsat’s Galaxy 13 satellite delivered a 4:2:2 10-bit, 4K UHD signal at 6ofps. The 100Mbps video feed was encoded and decoded in real time by Ericsson, using its AVP 2000 contribution encoders and RX8200 receivers. Newtec provided the modulation and demodulation hardware, featuring Clean Channel Technology, and the satellite downlink antenna was provided by Turner Broadcasting.
“4K UHD is the next evolutionary step for television broadcasting, and just as Intelsat supported the smooth transition from SD to HD, so too will we be ready to support the transition to full-time distribution in this new format,” said Peter Ostapiuk, Intelsat’s vice president of media product management.
“We are tremendously pleased with the outcome of today’s demonstration,” said Giles Wilson, head of TV compression business, Ericsson. “It shows what is feasible in terms of meeting consumer demand for the highest quality possible. Demonstrations such as this show operators that it is possible to start building the necessary ecosystem and a library of UHD TV content now as the industry readies itself for the roll-out of commercial services in the coming years. Ericsson has always been a pioneer of next-generation compression systems, and we are pleased to have worked with Intelsat to lead the way for UHD TV over satellite.”
