3 December, 2018
NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, has
partnered with Eutelsat Communications to launch
the world’s first 8K network; BS8K. The live
broadcast took place on December 2nd
from the Vatican where images were transmitted
to Tokyo via EUTELSAT 12 West B satellite with a
mobile uplink provided by M-three Satcom. This
momentous event by NHK has broken new ground for
8K contribution via satellite.
To achieve the technologically
challenging feat, NHK relied on DVB-S2X
modulation, in 16APSK, and HEVC encoding. The
images (7680 pixels over 4320 lines, an
astounding 33.3 million pixels per image) were
shot at 60 frames per second in BT2020 colour
space, with 10 bits of colour depth (1 billion
colours) and high dynamic range HLG (Hybrid Log
Gamma), combined with 22.2 channel audio.
Airing today in Japan, BS8K features 8K
Ultra HD footage of major cultural and sporting
events, museums and natural landscapes,
providing viewers with a fully immersive
experience which will be broadcast 12 hours a
day. The channel will allow for further
experimentation with 8K prior to the large-scale
deployment of the format for the Tokyo Olympics
and Paralympics games in 2020.
Gerry O’Sullivan, Executive Vice
President, Global TV and Video of Eutelsat:
“Eutelsat has been a pioneer in delivering HD
and Ultra HD formats since their inception, and
this broadcast confirms satellite’s unique
position as one of the vital technologies
capable of broadcasting 8K signals. We look
forward to working hand in hand with customers
such as NHK as they continue to raise the bar
higher for the broadcasting industry, to deliver
the best possible video experience to viewers.”
