Luxembourg, 4 April 2014: Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), the world’s leading provider of satellite services, along with partners BT Group Plc, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), Sony (NYSE: SNY) and Newtec, will demonstrate the next iteration of a true 4K Ultra High Definition Television (4K UHDTV), end-to-end video transmission over satellite to the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada during the 2014 NAB Show.
The demos will take place at Intelsat’s booth located in the South Upper Hall, Booth SU 3110 and Ericsson’s Booth located at SU 721.
At NAB, Intelsat and its partners will demonstrate ecosystem readiness for the commercialization of 4K UHDTV, the sector’s most exciting new technology.
The team will conduct a live transmission of sports programming that was captured using Sony’s PMW-F55 4K cameras, 4K production switcher and SR-R1000 recorder. Replayed pictures will be encoded using Ericsson AVP 2000 Contribution Encoders, capable of 4K UHDTV operations as well as standard- and high-definition contribution. The Ericsson Encoders will be encoding the four 3G-SDI feeds in real time. The demonstration will also take advantage of MPEG-4 AVC compression technology.
After the encoding process, the 4K signal will be transmitted as a 100 Mbps video stream from BT Tower in London over the BT Global Media Network to Intelsat, via the Intelsat point of presence in New York. The signal will be carried on the IntelsatOneSM terrestrial network to Intelsat’s teleport in in Riverside, California, where it will be uplinked to Galaxy 17, Intelsat’s premier regional and league sports neighborhood in the United States, using Newtec modulation equipment.
The resulting 4:2:2, 10-bit, 4K UHDTV signal at 60 frames per second will be displayed in the Intelsat and Ericsson booths at NAB 2014. A down converted HD feed, derived in London, will also be displayed emphasising how production and distribution of exceptional quality 4K images can be achieved alongside existing HD services. Both streams are being transmitted from BT Tower over the same path.
“Intelsat distributes content for the world’s most admired programmers, all of whom are looking at 4K and studying the technical and commercial considerations that will make 4K a compelling differentiator in a world filled with content, said Peter Ostapiuk, Intelsat’s vice president of media product management. “Intelsat and the rest of our technical team are pushing to capture gains in compression technology and as part of our testing; we determined that a multiplex 4K feed and a down-converted HD feed could be transmitted over a 36Mghz transponder utilizing DVB-S2X technology. By doing so, it will provide programmers with a commercial off-the-shelf solution where they will be able to offer 4K content in a much more efficient manner while at the same time, maintain the breathtaking quality of the content for an immersive viewing experience.”
“We are excited to be able to contribute our solutions to this live demonstration at NAB 2014. Showcases such as these are a testament to the importance of compression technologies in delivering ‘true’ 4K UHDTV services to the home,” said Dr. Giles Wilson, Head of TV Compression at Ericsson. “The combination of the higher spatial resolution, 4:2:2, 10-bit color depth and higher frame rates at 60 frames per second are the key to capturing a truly immersive viewing experience and high quality service that consumers expect and demand. As the living room moves towards a fully cinematic experience, ‘true’ 4K UHDTV video will enable a new premium tier of programming which will permanently change the way we watch content.”
“Canned 4K demos have had their day,” said Mark Wilson-Dunn, vice president of BT Media and Broadcast. “At NAB, our team is demonstrating real content, broadcast internationally over a real network, using real technology. The demonstration is leveraging our world leading Global Media IP Network for the project, and in the initial live broadcast its fibre based outside broadcast network. BT’s Global Media Network was designed from the outset for live broadcast and big media files, so it just takes 4K in its stride.”
“We are very happy that Sony has once again been invited to participate as a technology partner,” said Katsunori Yamanouchi, Vice President, Sony Professional Solutions Europe. “In the last year we’ve taken part in many landmark events around 4K live production and this next event will continue to build the momentum. With our unique track record for innovation, Sony remains the natural choice for an event of this kind.”
“Satellite transmission has always been the preferred technology facilitating the adoption of new video standards such as High Definition, and today Ultra HD,” said Steven Soenens, vice president product management at Newtec. “I’m delighted to see the new DVB-S2X technology – just released by DVB in February 2014 – already in action on our products and on a live satellite network. In this setup, we’ve transmitted 100Mbps Ultra HD content over a standard 36MHz transponder using 16APSK 3/4 5%. Typical contribution and distribution networks will benefit from a 10% to 20% efficiency increase using the new DVB-S2X standard.”
Resources:
- Intelsat’s Media Services: http://www.intelsat.com/applications/media/
- Intelsat’s Media Services: Direct-to-Home: http://www.intelsat.com/applications/media/direct-to-home-dth/
About Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) is the world’s leading provider of satellite services, delivering high performance connectivity solutions for media, fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure, enterprise and government and military applications. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video and broadband services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and mobile broadband access, Intelsat creates value for its customers through creative space-based solutions. Envision…Connect…Transform…with Intelsat, celebrating 50 years of space leadership in 2014. For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.
About BT Group
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Retail, BT Wholesale and Openreach.
For the year ended 31 March 2013, BT Group’s reported revenue was £18,103m with reported profit before taxation of £2,315m.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visitwww.btplc.com
About Sony
Sony is the leading supplier of AV/IT solutions to businesses across a wide variety of sectors including, Media and Broadcast, Video Security and Retail, Transport & Large Venue markets. It delivers products, systems and applications to enable the creation, manipulation and distribution of digital audio-visual content that add value to businesses and their customers. With over 25 years’ experience in delivering innovative market-leading products, Sony is ideally placed to deliver exceptional quality and value to its customers. Sony’s Professional Services division, its systems integration arm, offers its customers access to the expertise and local knowledge of skilled professionals across Europe. Collaborating with a network of established technology partners, Sony delivers end-to-end solutions that address the customer’s needs, integrating software and systems to achieve each organisation’s individual business goals. For more information please visit www.pro.sony.eu
Follow us on Twitter @sonyproeurope / www.twitter.com/sonyproeurope
About Ericsson
Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society – a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, businesses and societies to fulfil their potential and create a more sustainable future.
Our services, software and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud– are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.
With more than 110,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries,we combine global scale with technology and services leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the world’s mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and development ensure that our solutions – and our customers – stay in front.
Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2013 were SEK 227.4 billion (USD 34.9 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York.
About Newtec
Newtec, www.newtec.eu, is specialized in designing, developing and manufacturing equipment and technologies for satellite communications. As a pioneer in the industry, Newtec is dedicated to creating new possibilities for the broadcast, IP trunking and backhauling, consumer and enterprise VSAT and government and defense markets. Our products and technologies can be applied in a wide range of single and multiservice applications from DTH broadcasting, video contribution and distribution and disaster recovery and backbones for cellular backhauling, to small and medium enterprises, SCADA networks, manned and unmanned aircrafts, border control and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR).
For over 29 years, our dedicated team of specialists has set industry standards with the most efficient, scalable and economical technology solutions. New challenges and customer needs offer opportunities to explore new boundaries. This empowers us to work even harder, helping customers to perform their best so that, together, we can make the world a safer, more informed and connected place. As a result, more than 3 billion people watch TV every day thanks to Newtec technology.
Newtec is a European company founded in 1985. Through commercial offices in Sint-Niklaas (Belgium), Dubai (UAE), Singapore, Beijing (China), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Stamford, CT (USA) as well as an extensive network of over 80 certified partners, Newtec can meet customer’s needs worldwide.
Your Newtec Contact: Kerstin Roost, Public Relations Director, Tel: +49 30 430 95 562, [email protected]
Newtec at NAB show: Booth: SU3421, www.newtec.eu/event/nab-2014
About NAB Show
NAB Show, held April 5-10, 2014 in Las Vegas, is the world’s largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. With more than 93,000 attendees from 156 countries and 1,550+ exhibitors, NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for digital media and entertainment. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, NAB Show is home to the solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com.