SES teams up with Harmonic, Broadcom for HEVC 4K demo

Satellite operator SES has teamed up with video compression specialist Harmonic and chipset vendor Broadcom to deliver HEVC-based Ultra HD signals from the 19.2° East satellite position.

SES presented a demonstration of HEVC-based Ultra HD at its SES Industry Days event in Luxembourg using Harmonic’s ProMedia Xpress and a HEVC decoder reference-design system based on Broadcom’s BCM7445 device for receiving HEVC encoded Ultra-HD television transmission. The signal was broadcast in DVB-S2 using a data rate of 20Mbps.

According to SES, this was the first live demonstration of a full 3840×2160 pixel Ultra HD picture in HEVC, with previous demos using either H.264 or four HD pictures in parallel.

“We are very proud to present the first Ultra HD demo in the HEVC standard on satellite. SES has once again taken a leadership role in the industry by broadcasting the first real Ultra HD picture in a commercially realistic bandwidth,” said Thomas Wrede, vice-president, reception systems, SES. “We are convinced that the HEVC standard will become the option of choice for TV operators broadcasting Ultra HD content and expect the industry to develop prototype Ultra HD receivers in the coming months. With this initiative SES will be significantly driving the Ultra HD ecosystem forward and provide a 24/7 test channel to its industry partners.”