Paris, 26 June 2015 – Thanks to the successful 4EVER project that focused on the improvement of the video quality of experience, the work continues with 4EVER-2.
The 4EVER-2 project aims to define and validate the television of the future, thanks to the success of innovations emerging from 4EVER, for « High-Fidelity Television ».
Summary of the 4EVER project
The 4EVER project was a consortium of nine industrial and academic French partners (Orange, ATEME, Technicolor, France Télévisions, Globecast, TeamCast, Highlands Technologies Solutions, INSA-IETR and Télécom ParisTech), running from June 2012 to May 2015. It was supported by funding from the French government and the “Conseil Régional de Bretagne”, and supported by poles “Images&Réseaux”, “Cap Digital” and “Solutions Communicantes Sécurisées”. 4EVER introduced the validation of the new coding standard MPEG-HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding). 4EVER partners also worked on the definition of the future format «Ultra High Definition Television » (UHD-TV).
All this work had a single aim: offer the end-user a real improvement in the video Quality of Experience. It has been proved successful, in particular through an HEVC HD live chain in a real-world environment, in June 2013 at the French Open Roland-Garros tennis tournament: this event was then the world’s first operational end-to-end HEVC chain.
The studies conducted by the partners on the UHD-TV format (recording UHD-TV sequences, subjective perception tests, …) have also allowed 4EVER to quickly gain a position on the international stage: active contributions to international standardization efforts such as DVB (Digital Video Broadcast), ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group), with results disseminated in multiple exhibitions and conferences (NAB, IBC, SMPTE, ..).
Develop a truly innovative and sustainable TV standard
Today, the nine project partners of 4EVER-2 wish to continue and complete the UHD-TV work initiated in the original 4EVER. The main issue is to develop technologies that will enable the distribution of audiovisual content improving the video quality of experience. It will contribute to define, via international standardization committees, a UHD-TV format Phase 2 « High Fidelity » adapted to the specificities of digital television services and their evolution.
To achieve this objective, the 4EVER-2 project partners will study the gain in perceived video quality with« Ultra High Definition » future formats such as HDR (High Dynamic Range), HFR (High Frame Rate), and WCG (Wide Color Gamut).
They will evaluate the various technologies proposed to encode and distribute these formats. The multichannel audio and 3D will be integrated into joint assessments of audio and video in order to achieve a real increase in audiovisual quality. Regularly throughout the two years of the project (June 2015 – May 2017), the 4EVER-2 partners will work to implement end to end solutions with sports or premium cultural events.
The ultimate goal of this project is to develop technologies to validate a complete live production chain: distribution and reception of UHD-TV format Phase 2 content.