Technicolor’s Kirk Barker Explains how HDR Sports Broadcasts can be Implemented without Disrupting Existing Workflows
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – March 29, 2017—High dynamic range (HDR) video promises a much-improved live sports viewing experience that can be offered by broadcasters. However, doing so does present some technical challenges that need to be addressed, explains Kirk Barker, Senior Vice President of Emerging Products with Technicolor in a podcast interview for journalists.
Technicolor recently worked with Spectrum SportsNet to broadcast a Lakers game from Los Angeles in both standard dynamic range (SDR) and HDR. While Technicolor supplied the SDR to HDR conversion units for use in the broadcast trucks, Barker points out that a great deal of the value is delivered by technology that is embedded into TVs, set-top boxes, and other devices that need to handle content in both SDR and the multiple versions of HDR to ensure an optimal viewing experience.
Technicolor recently worked with Spectrum SportsNet to broadcast a Lakers game from Los Angeles in both standard dynamic range (SDR) and HDR. While Technicolor supplied the SDR to HDR conversion units for use in the broadcast trucks, Barker points out that a great deal of the value is delivered by technology that is embedded into TVs, set-top boxes, and other devices that need to handle content in both SDR and the multiple versions of HDR to ensure an optimal viewing experience.
“We believe the solution implemented in the end device, the TV or the set-top box, has to be able to accept a variety of different formats and that will be one of the selling points of Advanced HDR by Technicolor,” Barker says.
Two of the big challenges Barker sees are: ensuring that all the different formats are displayed at their correct light level—or luminance—and that the technology is sufficiently future-proof to handle developments down the track.
“The system must be able to translate between different electro-optical transfer functions. It must be able to convert SDR up to HDR and convert HDR down to different luminance. And the set-top box has to be aware of the graphics, like the overlays for the scores. All that has to be managed to a consistent luminance. The solutions we are developing with our set-top box partners have all of those components.”
“Technicolor,” he says, “is future-proofing its universal HDR distribution technology.”
“Any system must be able to adapt and transition. With our system you could start today with HLG, transition to HDR10 in the future, and then maybe beyond HDR10 to HDR10 with enhancements,” he explains.
Two of the big challenges Barker sees are: ensuring that all the different formats are displayed at their correct light level—or luminance—and that the technology is sufficiently future-proof to handle developments down the track.
“The system must be able to translate between different electro-optical transfer functions. It must be able to convert SDR up to HDR and convert HDR down to different luminance. And the set-top box has to be aware of the graphics, like the overlays for the scores. All that has to be managed to a consistent luminance. The solutions we are developing with our set-top box partners have all of those components.”
“Technicolor,” he says, “is future-proofing its universal HDR distribution technology.”
“Any system must be able to adapt and transition. With our system you could start today with HLG, transition to HDR10 in the future, and then maybe beyond HDR10 to HDR10 with enhancements,” he explains.
Despite the challenges and the complexity, Barker is confident HDR technology will be successful. He says the Lakers HDR broadcast proves that it is viable today. “The future of HDR is very bright.”
To listen to the entire podcast, or read the full Q&A, visit: http://thefuturetrust.technicolor.com/article/the-future-…
Journalists and analysts are free to pull quotes from this Q&A feature with attribution in media and market reports. For more details and context, contact: Lane Cooper 323 817 7547 lane.cooper@technicolor.com
Andre Rodriguez 323 817 6716 andre.rodriguez@technicolor.com
Photo: https://www.prlog.org/12629886/1
To listen to the entire podcast, or read the full Q&A, visit: http://thefuturetrust.technicolor.com/article/the-future-…
Journalists and analysts are free to pull quotes from this Q&A feature with attribution in media and market reports. For more details and context, contact: Lane Cooper 323 817 7547 lane.cooper@technicolor.com
Andre Rodriguez 323 817 6716 andre.rodriguez@technicolor.com
Photo: https://www.prlog.org/12629886/1
