LG demonstrates 4K HDR via streaming, HbbTV, DVB & satellite

LG demonstrates 4K HDR via streaming, HbbTV, DVB & satellite

07 Sep 2015 | Rasmus Larsen |

At IFA 2015, LG had teamed up with five partners to demonstrate 4K HDR content via streaming and broadcast, including HbbTV 2.0, satellite, DVB-T2 and set-top box.

HDR broadcasts & streaming

It is still hard to find 4K content to watch but the industry has already turned its attention to the next step in picture quality. HDR stands for high dynamic range and could be one of the most significant steps forward in many years - if done right.

If you own a HDR-capable TV the only way to enjoy HDR content is through Amazon Prime Video. Amazon has only a few titles to offer at the moment but the industry is working on delivering HDR content through broadcast and streaming systems. At IFA, LG had teamed up with partners to show what is possible and how beautiful HDR looks on its OLED TVs.

On one TV LG, BBC and EBU demonstrated a 25 Mb/s 4K HDR picture (50fps & 10-bit) streamed over HbbTV 2.0, which is a hybrid system for TV broadcast and streaming employed in some European countries. HbbTV 2.0, which will roll out in 2016, will make it possible to support 4K and HDR. Like most streaming systems HbbTV 2.0 can automatically adjust the bitrate depending on the speed of your internet connection.

- “We’re using this opportunity at the largest consumer electronics event in Europe to promote awareness of HDR technology, which is ideally suited for OLED TVs,” said Lee In-kyu, SVP and head of TV at LG.

Another demo TV received the “world’s first” HDR broadcast over DVB-T2. DVB-T2 is a broadcast system for antennas widely employed in Europe. Many TVs in Europe already have built-in DVB-T2 tuner but to enable 4K and HDR the TVs also need HEVC decoding.

LG had also teamed up with Astra, a German satellite provider, to show that 4K HDR broadcasts are also possible via satellite. The demo was live.

LG and Broadcom, a manufacturer of hardware chips, had teamed up to demonstrate HDR content from a set-top box connected to one of the OLED TVs via HDMI. Broadcom will soon start producing hardware chips for other manufacturers to use in set-top boxes.