• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • TV/Radio Deals
  • Film partnerships
  • New appointments
  • Production
  • TV Channels
4K reality check

4K reality check

January 9, 2014
Dubai’s Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM celebrates 21 years

Dubai’s Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM celebrates 21 years

July 10, 2025
Ad 1
SES introduces new platform for live sports distribution

Dentsu launches sports analytics arm in MENA

July 9, 2025
Lockheed Martin welcomes 44 interns to tech internship in Abu Dhabi

Lockheed Martin welcomes 44 interns to tech internship in Abu Dhabi

July 9, 2025
Nokia, CST and partners launch 4.0 GHz neutral host network in KSA

Nokia, CST and partners launch 4.0 GHz neutral host network in KSA

July 9, 2025
Cinema Akil brings back ‘Summer of Classics’ season

Cinema Akil brings back ‘Summer of Classics’ season

July 9, 2025
Etisalat collaborates with Moonbug Entertainment

Moonbug releases report on what families truly expect from media and marketing

July 9, 2025
AFID awards celebrate Arab talent and storytelling

AFID awards celebrate Arab talent and storytelling

July 9, 2025
Spacetoon teams up with ALJ Sisters for animated series ‘Happiness Spreaders’

Spacetoon teams up with ALJ Sisters for animated series ‘Happiness Spreaders’

July 9, 2025
Maxar secures $205m deals to advance MEA sovereign capabilities

Maxar secures $205m deals to advance MEA sovereign capabilities

July 9, 2025
Hisense display technology powers VAR viewing at FIFA Club WC 2025

Hisense display technology powers VAR viewing at FIFA Club WC 2025

July 8, 2025
ESA selects five companies for first stage of European Launcher Challenge

ESA selects five companies for first stage of European Launcher Challenge

July 8, 2025
Exclusive – MediaCast launches second MCX experience centre in Dubai

Exclusive – MediaCast launches second MCX experience centre in Dubai

July 8, 2025
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine Archive
  • Directory
  • Contact
Thursday, July 10, 2025
  • Login
BroadcastPro ME
  • News
    • All
    • Analyst Reports
    • AV
    • Cinema Theatres
    • Esports
    • Film partnerships
    • International News
    • Mergers/Acquisitions
    • New appointments
    • OTT/Video Streaming
    • Podcasting
    • Production
    • Satellite/Comms
    • TV/Radio Deals
    Dubai’s Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM celebrates 21 years

    Dubai’s Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM celebrates 21 years

    SES introduces new platform for live sports distribution

    Dentsu launches sports analytics arm in MENA

    Lockheed Martin welcomes 44 interns to tech internship in Abu Dhabi

    Lockheed Martin welcomes 44 interns to tech internship in Abu Dhabi

    Nokia, CST and partners launch 4.0 GHz neutral host network in KSA

    Nokia, CST and partners launch 4.0 GHz neutral host network in KSA

    Cinema Akil brings back ‘Summer of Classics’ season

    Cinema Akil brings back ‘Summer of Classics’ season

    Etisalat collaborates with Moonbug Entertainment

    Moonbug releases report on what families truly expect from media and marketing

    AFID awards celebrate Arab talent and storytelling

    AFID awards celebrate Arab talent and storytelling

    Spacetoon teams up with ALJ Sisters for animated series ‘Happiness Spreaders’

    Spacetoon teams up with ALJ Sisters for animated series ‘Happiness Spreaders’

    Maxar secures $205m deals to advance MEA sovereign capabilities

    Maxar secures $205m deals to advance MEA sovereign capabilities

    Hisense display technology powers VAR viewing at FIFA Club WC 2025

    Hisense display technology powers VAR viewing at FIFA Club WC 2025

    Trending Tags

    • broadcast
    • MENA broadcast
    • ConnecTech2019
  • Tech Features
    • All
    • CASE STUDIES
    • New Media
    • REVIEWS
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • Updates from FOMEX
    • Virtual Production Series
    Breaking free from the hardware cycle: Cloud collaboration in post-production

    Breaking free from the hardware cycle: Cloud collaboration in post-production

    Playing to win

    Playing to win

    The expanding role of AI in broadcast

    The expanding role of AI in broadcast

    The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

    The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

    Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

    Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part IV

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part III

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

    Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

    Trending Tags

    • Videos
      FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

      FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

      Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

      Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

      Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

      Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

      Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

      Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

      Reema Omari

      Reema Omari on Universal Satcom’s growth and connectivity solutions

      Mustafa Afifi

      Mustafa Afifi of Rivada Space on Outernet’s impact in the Middle East

      Don

      ST Engineering iDirect CEO Don Claussen on Mideast ties and satellite strategy

      KSASummit

      Transforming Arabic Content: Studios, Producers and Regional Impact

      Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

      Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

    • Opinion
      Survival of the Smartest: Cloud Playout as a Strategic Weapon

      Survival of the Smartest: Cloud Playout as a Strategic Weapon

      Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

      Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

      YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

      YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

      Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

      Sport’s Growing Grip on MENA Media

      MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

      MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

      Integrate ME 2023 brings its inaugural edition to successful conclusion

      Empowering the next generation of content creation and live broadcasting with AV PRO

      Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

      Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

      Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

      Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

      Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

      Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

      Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

      Saudi Arabia emerges as the epicentre of Media & Entertainment in 2025

    • Interviews
      • All
      • Lounge
      Sand, sweat and high stakes

      Sand, sweat and high stakes

      All eyes on AIUIa

      All eyes on AIUIa

      Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

      Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

      Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

      Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

      New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

      New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

      Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

      Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

      UAE Pro League flips the field

      UAE Pro League flips the field

      Bringing the wild to the Middle East

      Bringing the wild to the Middle East

      Shades of success

      Shades of success

      Navigating the news wave

      Navigating the news wave

    • Products
    • Magazine Archive
      • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
      • PRO Directory
    • Events
      • News from Events
      • Upcoming Events
      DICM

      DICM

      IBC Show

      IBC 2025

      MPTS

      CABSAT2025

      CABSAT2025

      NAB Show

    No Result
    View All Result
    BroadcastPro ME
    • News
      • All
      • Analyst Reports
      • AV
      • Cinema Theatres
      • Esports
      • Film partnerships
      • International News
      • Mergers/Acquisitions
      • New appointments
      • OTT/Video Streaming
      • Podcasting
      • Production
      • Satellite/Comms
      • TV/Radio Deals
      Dubai’s Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM celebrates 21 years

      Dubai’s Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM celebrates 21 years

      SES introduces new platform for live sports distribution

      Dentsu launches sports analytics arm in MENA

      Lockheed Martin welcomes 44 interns to tech internship in Abu Dhabi

      Lockheed Martin welcomes 44 interns to tech internship in Abu Dhabi

      Nokia, CST and partners launch 4.0 GHz neutral host network in KSA

      Nokia, CST and partners launch 4.0 GHz neutral host network in KSA

      Cinema Akil brings back ‘Summer of Classics’ season

      Cinema Akil brings back ‘Summer of Classics’ season

      Etisalat collaborates with Moonbug Entertainment

      Moonbug releases report on what families truly expect from media and marketing

      AFID awards celebrate Arab talent and storytelling

      AFID awards celebrate Arab talent and storytelling

      Spacetoon teams up with ALJ Sisters for animated series ‘Happiness Spreaders’

      Spacetoon teams up with ALJ Sisters for animated series ‘Happiness Spreaders’

      Maxar secures $205m deals to advance MEA sovereign capabilities

      Maxar secures $205m deals to advance MEA sovereign capabilities

      Hisense display technology powers VAR viewing at FIFA Club WC 2025

      Hisense display technology powers VAR viewing at FIFA Club WC 2025

      Trending Tags

      • broadcast
      • MENA broadcast
      • ConnecTech2019
    • Tech Features
      • All
      • CASE STUDIES
      • New Media
      • REVIEWS
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • Updates from FOMEX
      • Virtual Production Series
      Breaking free from the hardware cycle: Cloud collaboration in post-production

      Breaking free from the hardware cycle: Cloud collaboration in post-production

      Playing to win

      Playing to win

      The expanding role of AI in broadcast

      The expanding role of AI in broadcast

      The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

      The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

      Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

      Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part IV

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part III

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

      Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

      Trending Tags

      • Videos
        FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

        FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

        Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

        Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

        Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

        Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

        Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

        Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

        Reema Omari

        Reema Omari on Universal Satcom’s growth and connectivity solutions

        Mustafa Afifi

        Mustafa Afifi of Rivada Space on Outernet’s impact in the Middle East

        Don

        ST Engineering iDirect CEO Don Claussen on Mideast ties and satellite strategy

        KSASummit

        Transforming Arabic Content: Studios, Producers and Regional Impact

        Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

        Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

      • Opinion
        Survival of the Smartest: Cloud Playout as a Strategic Weapon

        Survival of the Smartest: Cloud Playout as a Strategic Weapon

        Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

        Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

        YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

        YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

        Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

        Sport’s Growing Grip on MENA Media

        MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

        MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

        Integrate ME 2023 brings its inaugural edition to successful conclusion

        Empowering the next generation of content creation and live broadcasting with AV PRO

        Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

        Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

        Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

        Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

        Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

        Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

        Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

        Saudi Arabia emerges as the epicentre of Media & Entertainment in 2025

      • Interviews
        • All
        • Lounge
        Sand, sweat and high stakes

        Sand, sweat and high stakes

        All eyes on AIUIa

        All eyes on AIUIa

        Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

        Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

        Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

        Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

        New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

        New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

        Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

        Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

        UAE Pro League flips the field

        UAE Pro League flips the field

        Bringing the wild to the Middle East

        Bringing the wild to the Middle East

        Shades of success

        Shades of success

        Navigating the news wave

        Navigating the news wave

      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events
        • News from Events
        • Upcoming Events
        DICM

        DICM

        IBC Show

        IBC 2025

        MPTS

        CABSAT2025

        CABSAT2025

        NAB Show

      No Result
      View All Result
      BroadcastPro ME
      No Result
      View All Result
      AMT Ad ibc Ad
      Home Tech Features

      4K reality check

      Vibhuti Arora by Vibhuti Arora
      January 9, 2014
      in Tech Features, TV/Radio Deals
      ShareTweetPostEmail

      The standards are progressing rapidly, so industry players must decide how much and how quickly they must invest in 4K UHDTV technology to match consumer demand when the new services begin The 4K UHDTV high-resolution picture format (3840 × 2160 pixels per frame) is emerging as the standard for new multimedia services. It has huge […]

      The standards are progressing rapidly, so industry players must decide how much and how quickly they must invest in 4K UHDTV technology to match consumer demand when the new services begin

      The 4K UHDTV high-resolution picture format (3840 × 2160 pixels per frame) is emerging as the standard for new multimedia services. It has huge artistic advantages compared with conventional SD and HD production, both for content acquisition and special effects, as well as archiving and repurposing.

      4K UHDTV offers opportunities for new service development and differentiation, and many broadcast and media organisations have already started experimental production and services or announced 4K UHDTV plans. For example, Netflix has announced plans for a 4K UHDTV movie service in 2014. BBC and Sky TV this year carried out 4K UHDTV live field tests for sports, and Japanese broadcasters plan to start 4K UHDTV services prior to the 2014 World Cup.

      Consumer pull or market push?

      The much higher resolution of 4K UHDTV than HDTV enables producers to capture far more detail in scenes and, in turn, provide a more immersive experience, whether bringing to life vast wilderness panoramas or offering crisp, clear action from a sports event. Producers enjoy greater freedom in camera placement and greater artistic licence when they are able to capture a wider field of view, that enables closer viewer engagement. With enhanced post-production effects, the programme director — or, in the case of interactive services, the viewer — can take advantage of very high quality zoom to concentrate on a specific part of the action.

      Currently, the main driver for 4K UHDTV comes from the display industry, where manufacturers are looking for the next exciting innovation to tempt consumers to invest in new displays. Though 2013 saw many additions to the available range of 4K UHDTV displays and prices have dropped below USD 1000, consumer demand is still low. In fact, some analysts predict that widespread adoption of 4K UHDTV will not occur until 2020.

      Consumers are hesitating for several reasons. Many have only just purchased HD displays and aren’t ready for a new investment. Until recently, the only 4K UHDTV displays offered to consumers were 55 inches or bigger, making them impractical for many consumers’ living rooms. Finally, there simply isn’t yet enough 4K content available to consumers, whether direct-to-the-home or via media players.

      For broadcasters, the cost of creating a 4K UHDTV channel ranges from $10-$15 million (roughly five times that of a new HD service, according to Deloitte), so the decision to upgrade existing equipment and infrastructure is weighty. While cost will inhibit the launch of 4K UHDTV services, and thereby delay consumers’ purchase decisions, manufacturer initiatives such as the launch of 4K UHDTV media players by Sony will help stimulate the market even though content remains limited.

      How are manufacturers supporting 4K UHDTV?

      4K UHDTV introduces new artistic opportunities in terms of field of view, resolution (picture detail), extended colour gamut, and improved motion portrayal (progressive scan at higher frame rates), which broadcast and media companies can use in creating new services and differentiating existing services. 4K UHDTV stimulates viewers to start new subscriptions. Improved quality of content delivered to large home displays gives producers broader artistic scope and freedom to create stunning material.

      Supporting the desire for better production capabilities, camera manufacturers already offer a good selection of 4K UHDTV cameras. Monitoring downconverters enable easy integration of 4K UHDTV into facilities.

      4K production methods, already established in the digital cinema domain, don’t require the complex rigs needed for 3D production. The 4K effects and editing tools already used for film and digital cinema, along with low-cost data storage, make 4K UHDTV post-production feasible on reasonably powerful workstations, in turn, allowing broadcasters and media organisations to benefit immediately as new 4K UHDTV technologies emerge.

      Post-production companies using software standards converter have proved high-quality motion compensated conversion of 4K material to different frame rates, thus demonstrating how broadcasters and content owners can maximise revenue from costly 4K productions.

      The transfer of 4K movies into screen productions can be simple, due to the similar resolutions of UHDTV and digital cinema content, so movie companies are scanning their back catalogues into 4K formats, anticipating future 4K UHDTV delivery mechanisms and services. New movies, especially those made for TV, as well as drama series, are now being mastered at resolutions of 4K and greater.

      The availability of compelling 4K UHDTV content will attract consumers, enabling broadcasters and media companies to demonstrate revenue-generating service innovation and advanced compression technology, including the emerging High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC), will facilitate service delivery. Both Eutelsat and ASTRA have announced 4K UHDTV transmission capability. Eutelsat’s demonstration channel allows broadcasters to experiment with 4K UHDTV services at 40 Mbps compressed using MPEG-4, or on ASTRA at 20 Mbps. Testing by Netflix and other content owners has suggested that bandwidths as low as 15 Mbps could be used for 4K UHDTV service delivery.

      Investing in 4K UHDTV

      Although ITU-R recommendation BT.2020 specifies the technical parameters for 4K UHDTV, there remain many practical questions to consider. Because the standard allows for frame rates from 23.98p up to 120p, media companies must ensure that the 4K UHDTV equipment they buy will support the full range of possible frame rates and any service that is defined. However, experiments by broadcasters at 50p and 59.94p have been very successful, so whereas content producers have the option of initial acquisition at frame rates up to 120Hz, the first consumer services will most likely be based on 50p or 60p.

      The 4K standard supports 10- or 12-bit colour depth, which could enable a more exciting user experience, or cause issues of backwards compatibility with current 8-bit systems. With up to 120 frames per second, uncompressed 4K UHDTV material has high storage requirements. Even a 30-minute 4K UHDTV@50p programme at 10 bits per pixel will occupy more than 900 GB uncompressed, compared with around 90 GB for a 30-minute 1080 50i programme at 8 bits per pixel.

      Fortunately, storage costs continue to decrease while capacity rises. In parallel, new compression methods provide very efficient encoding with minimal picture degradation. HEVC is just one codec helping to reduce 4K UHDTV storage requirements, and tests demonstrate much higher compression ratios for the same picture quality as compared with codecs such as JPEG2000 or H.264. One study reported efficiency gains of 35% and better for HEVC when compared with H.264 for entertainment applications.

      4K UHDTV transmission is likely to be compressed, at least initially, as even today’s high-bandwidth links to consumers’ homes have insufficient capacity. However, as improved compression technologies emerge along with more efficient transport mechanisms and higher bandwidth to the home, transmission issues will diminish.

      Conclusion

      4K UHDTV not only promises broadcasters, media organisations, and content owners the opportunity to develop revenue streams from innovative new services, but also offers producers more artistic freedom. Many elements in the equipment chain from production to consumer are already available o

      Paola Hobson.

      r are in development, bringing 4K UHDTV within the reach of many organisations.

      Paola Hobson is Product Manager — Conversion at Snell.

      Tags: 4KPaola HobsonSnellUHDTVultra HD

      Related Posts

      The power of 8

      The power of 8

      September 16, 2024
      Anghami hits 10bn streams in MENA in 2019

      Anghami reports 18.3% subscriber growth following OSN+ transaction

      September 5, 2024
      Cinegy releases new version of Cinegy Air

      Cinegy releases new version of Cinegy Air

      February 14, 2023
      Netflix surpasses 200m paid subscriptions

      Netflix adds new features to premium package

      February 1, 2023
      Creating more engagement in sport

      Creating more engagement in sport

      January 24, 2023
      Staying on schedule

      Staying on schedule

      April 18, 2022

      Related News

      The power of 8

      The power of 8

      September 16, 2024
      Anghami reports 18.3% subscriber growth following OSN+ transaction

      Anghami reports 18.3% subscriber growth following OSN+ transaction

      September 5, 2024
      Netflix adds new features to premium package

      Netflix adds new features to premium package

      February 1, 2023
      Creating more engagement in sport

      Creating more engagement in sport

      January 24, 2023
      Staying on schedule

      Staying on schedule

      April 18, 2022
      New 4K-UHD OB van in Qatar uses Ross technology to streamline workflow

      New 4K-UHD OB van in Qatar uses Ross technology to streamline workflow

      August 4, 2020
      More Related News

      BroadcastPro ME

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Subscribe
      • Magazine Archive
      • Directory
      • Contact
      • Privacy

      Follow us on Social Media

      No Result
      View All Result
      • News
      • Tech Features
      • Videos
      • Opinion
      • Interviews
      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events

      Welcome Back!

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Create New Account!

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In