
8K Buzz Becomes Reality in Japan; Inter BEE 2018 Highlights 12Gbps, VR and Next-Gen Replay By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Friday, December 14, 2018 - 10:55 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
The InterBEE trade show in Japan, the Japanese equivalent of NAB, is always a unique show for those involved in the broadcast and production industry. It is squarely focused on the needs of the Japanese broadcast industry and that makes it an interesting mix of a commitment to known technologies (one of the big themes this year was 12 Gig SDI) and a commitment to the future with (another big theme was 8K which is now a reality for consumers in Japan).
The NHK booth at Inter BEE featured a countdown to the launch of NHK's 8K service.
Let's start with the big news of the official launch of 8K broadcasts (as well as 4K) via satellite. The 8K signal, called BS8K, requires 100 Mbps of bandwidth to be delivered and the broadcasts are available 12 hours a day. That 12 hours, like the early years of HD here in the U.S., will comprise a mix of original full resolution material as well as upconverted material (audio is in 22.2-channel Surround Sound). Highlights so far include an 8K broadcast of 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as a live broadcast from the Vatican on Dec. 2. NHK also continues to roll out 8K production units that can be deployed around Japan and the goal is to have five in operation by the time the 2020 Tokyo Olympics begin.
Eutelsat is a key partner in the delivery efforts, and NHK relied on DVB-S2X modulation, in 16APSK, and HEVC encoding for the Vatican live shot. The images were shot at 60 frames per second in BT2020 colour space, with 10 bits of colour depth and high dynamic range HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma), combined with 22.2 channel audio.
Sony's booth at Inter BEE featured a massive 8K video wall.
The launch garnered mixed headlines and it will be some time before it will garner large audiences. The consumer electronics industry will most likely roll out a number of 8K sets at CES (Sharp is currently selling a 70-inch set for about $12,000) and the 8K receiver tacks on an extra $2,000 to the cost. Of course, anyone suffering sticker shock at those prices should consider that 4K sets were at that level only a few years ago so prices could fall within a couple of years.
SVG has discussed the production of 8K over the years and since the 2012 London Olympics the format has made some serious strides that are worth keeping in mind. For example, in 2012 recording the events for replay required 36 Panasonic P2 decks to be slaved together. Today that, thankfully is not the case.
And yes, the camera signals each are still a massive 48 Gbps but the number of cameras involved in the production continues to grow and their features, like slow-motion replay, also continue to expand.
NHK is currently the only broadcaster on the planet to commit to 8K and it is worth remembering that when people ask why? that NHK was committed to 8K before 4K was even a legitimate format. So, the why was simple: there was (and still is) a belief that 4K did not offer enough of a difference in terms of picture quality from 1080p to make it a worthwhile step. But 8K opened up a number of new applications like live broadcast to cinema screens and also would provide a signal that could support massive screens that measure more than 120 inches diagonal.
NHK's commitment, however, is enough to have a number of manufactures on the show floor at InterBEE displaying 8K production systems. Sony, Ikegami, Astrodesign, For.A, and others rolled out various 8K capable production components. And there actually is a practical application for an 8K camera today. It could be mounted within a stadium and capture a wide shot of the entire field of play and then allow for 1080p segments to be extracted and broadcast, allowing a single camera to do the work of multiple cameras and never miss a moment. And, of course, if 4K can turn the corner as a production format there could eventually be a need for 8K cameras to serve in the role of virtual zoom cameras so that a full 4K image can be extracted (similar to the role 4K cameras in extracting full HD images for replay).
The other big story at the show was products that supported 12 Gbps transport. 12 Gbps capable products were found in a number of booths and for many Japanese production professionals the familiarity with SDI architecture makes 12 Gbps more compelling than IP.
Advances in Next-Gen Replay
One of the highlights on the Canon stand this year was a next-generation version of the company's take on the 360-degree replay systems that take video from multiple cameras mounted around a stadium, synthesize it, and then allow for a replay from virtually any angle along with the ability to zoom in and move between players and objects.
It's called Free Viewpoint and it has made some strides since last year. Canon offered a quick demo of footage from rugby matches that were captured with 100 cameras mounted around the upper level of the stadium. The latest demo was impressive as the large number of cameras gave plenty of additional picture information to enhance the quality of the view. The problem? It still takes a long time to synthesize all of the data but the Canon team hopes they cut the processing time down greatly by the time the 2020 Olympics begin. Here's a YouTube clip of last year's version for a sense of what will eventually be offered (the new version, however, is more photorealistic).
Another cool technology demonstration was courtesy of Tokyo Broadcasting Systems (TBS). It was called Virtual Grabber and was designed to bring the VR environment to the world of technical directing. An operator outfitted with VR goggles and VR pointer hand controls was able to cut a show by looking at a virtual monitor wall and pointing an
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
28/07/2026
LiveU, the pioneer in IP-video transmission and cloud-based remote production, today detailed its historic performance records set during the 2026 FIFA World Cu...
28/07/2026
The NFL franchise rebuilt their off-site content operation for an era when teams...
28/07/2026
Longtime partners expand viewer choice, data-driven analysis, access, immersive ...
28/07/2026
There is a unique moment before every major production. The audience never sees it.
The cameras are ready. The talent is preparing. Directors review the final...
28/07/2026
The CW Network and ESPN have announced their highly anticipated streaming agreement to bring CW Sports' live events to the ESPN App will officially launch o...
28/07/2026
As more than tens of thousands of spectators filled Paris' Champ de Mars and...
28/07/2026
Appear's X Platform played a central role in Chile's first large-scale c...
28/07/2026
Responding to the broadcast industry's shift to embrace more flexible production platforms, Solid State Logic (SSL) is evolving its comprehensive System T p...
28/07/2026
Production leverages innovative camera technologies, AI, and data to capture the action in four-week inaugural competition
The first-ever professional dunking ...
28/07/2026
Prime Video to exclusively broadcast Wednesday night national NHL regular-season games in Canada...
28/07/2026
Every match will stream live on Paramount+ beginning in February,...
28/07/2026
Baxandall-inspired hardware EQ overhauled
TK Audio's Baxandall-inspired hardware EQ unit has just made a return, bringing the popular unit back into the...
28/07/2026
D700 system gains new live-focused rackmount surface
Asparion have just announced an expansion of their D700 control surface range, introducing a new model ...
28/07/2026
27 July 2026, Johannesburg - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an a...
28/07/2026
Ad Intel AI is Nielsen's first in a new generation of AI products built to t...
28/07/2026
Contribution to Europe's technological autonomy in the key industry telecommunications
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, starts commercial shipments...
28/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/07/2026
Encompass Digital Media has been selected by Channel 4, one of the UK's public service broadcasters, to deliver managed linear playout services as part of a...
28/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has confirmed a new partnership with leading Korean systems integrator and distribu...
28/07/2026
Limecraft today announces version 2026.5 of its AI-powered production platform. Limecraft 2026.5 https://(www.limecraft.com/limecraft-2026-5-multicam-quad-view-...
28/07/2026
X Platform technology enabled a premium UHD viewing experience through a hybrid ground-to-cloud architecture developed with Chilevisi n, ClaroVTR and Pixop
App...
28/07/2026
LiveU, the pioneer in IP-video transmission and cloud-based remote production, today announced it has set historic performance records during the 2026 World Foo...
28/07/2026
dhd.audio announces that its latest generation firmware, Version 10.4, is now available to DHD customers. Version 10.4 introduces expanded configuration capabil...
28/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/07/2026
Brand's Intuitive Metering and Dialogue Tools Improve Efficiency and Maintain Clarity Across Projects Ranging from Sitcoms to Effects Heavy Fantasy Series
...
28/07/2026
TAG Video Systems, a leader in 100% software-based realtime media monitoring, multiviewing and quality control (QC), today announced the latest innovations to i...
28/07/2026
Harvard Athletics Transforms Collegiate Sports Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton July 27, 2026
0 Comments
Between the maturation of IP and remot...
28/07/2026
New Live Action Projection Mapping Film Captured with URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton July 27, 2026
0 Comments
Large format sensor allows Texas Legacy ...
28/07/2026
NVIDIA Agent Toolkit Expands With New Omniverse Libraries, Putting AI Agents to ...
28/07/2026
AI Agents Expand Creative Tools to Millions
Brie Clayton July 27, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Epic Games
Leading creative applications are...
28/07/2026
How Rick Aggeler Built a Music Community for Boston Teens When he was a Berklee student, Aggeler volunteered at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, where he hel...
28/07/2026
Tuesday 28 July 2026
Football is back on Sky Sports following its most watched ...
28/07/2026
Anyone can make a robot move; NVIDIA Jetson makes it think. As a discerning AI i...
28/07/2026
RT Raidi na Gaeltachta, RT Radio 1, RT One and RT Player to showcase the best of the reels, rhymes and rambles from Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na h ireann 202...
28/07/2026
Through a wide range of perspectives, this documentary looks at how Ireland might navigate one of the defining political questions of the future
Wednesday, Jul...
27/07/2026
The Audio Engineering Society Educational Foundation has named its scholarship and grant recipients for the 2026/2027 academic year. The awards support students...
27/07/2026
ESPN and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) have signed a multi-year media rights agreement covering basketball championships and select football and ba...
27/07/2026
Yahoo Sports and Cameo have partnered to allow fantasy football users to book personalized celebrity videos directly within the Yahoo Fantasy app and website. T...
27/07/2026
Eutelsat has welcomed the FCC's order establishing the regulatory framework for the transition of Upper C-band spectrum in the United States. Under the orde...
27/07/2026
ESPN and the International Dance League (IDL) have signed a global rights agreement for the 2026 season. Events will air bi-weekly on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET beginni...
27/07/2026
NBCUniversal and YouTube have signed a multi-year global partnership that includes bundling Peacock with YouTube Premium, extending NBCUniversal's distribut...
27/07/2026
Agenda includes presentations from the Miami Heat, Inter Miami, Florida Panthers...
27/07/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
27/07/2026
Ten one-minute shorts will roll out across CBS, The CW, Paramount+ during the 2026 PBR Teams season
PBR is officially moving into scripted animation. The Profe...