UHDTV Capture: Early Experiences

As the French public broadcaster and editor of 13 channels, 4 of which are high definition, France Televisions studies Ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV)-broadcasting scenarios for its premium programs. Enhancing the sense of realness, the viewing comfort and creating an immersive experience are the quests of any incumbent broadcaster looking to embrace the future of TV. France Televisions has undertaken experiments in UHDTV production at 60 frames/sec to evaluate future workflows and specifically to work on adapting filming methods and materials. The quality of experience was evaluated, taking into account the impact of compression on both UHDTV digital content and scanned films, with specific attention paid to noise levels. After providing an early report of available 4K/UHD cameras suitable for TV applications, the impact of compression technology on types of UHDTV content is presented, with a focus on the new High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) codec as the natural compression standard for upcoming UHDTV applications.