MADRID—As the push for 8K content continues, Spanish-based SAPEC has been testing UHD content compression techniques for encoding 8K resolution content with HEVC standards and existing hardware.

With a resolution of 7680x4320, 8K has four-times the number of pixels that 4K content does. While there are already UHD 8K TVs on the market, there are still challenges when dealing with 8K content throughout the entire transmission chain. To help with this, SAPEC is focusing on the compression of 8K content.

SAPEC believes that HEVC (H.265) compression is currently the best available option to compress 8K video. According to its first tests, the bitrate needed for 8K transmission when using HEVC is slightly more than double than that of 4K. This could exceed the maximum conditions of some live broadcast media infrastructures. SAPEC found that these required bitrate values can be reduced by applying different compression techniques offline.

SAPEC also looked at live or real-time compression of 8K video, where the compression speed must be equal to or greater than the rate of images per second. To address these challenges, SAPEC used spatial and temporal parallelization techniques offered by the HEVC standard.

Spatial parallelization divides the image into smaller fragments so they are processed in parallel, with the results of each fragment later received to form a single output stream. 

Temporal parallelization executes the work of compression of images that do not have dependencies between them at the same time. These sequences can also be divided into fragments corresponding to one or more group of pictures.

SAPEC has detailed the results of its tests in a technical article. 

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Sapec will debut Sivac One, a modular video encoding solution for HDTV H.264/MPEG-2 deployments that reduces signal transport costs without affecting quality. Supporting up to three encoder cards in a 1-RU frame, Sivac One enables encoding of H-264/MPEG-2 with extremely low latency and low power consumption.

Sivac One has one video HD-SDI/SDI input, four interfaces supporting up to eight stereo embedded audio channels, and up to eight AES/EBU channels, and can provide HD compression in H.264 and/or MPEG-2 Main, High, and H422 profiles (8/10 bits). For SD compression, Sivac One SVE supports H.264 and/or MPEG-2 at Main and/or 4:2:2 profiles and is upgradeable to HD.

Avantos

Sapec will also show enhancements to its Avantos line of advanced real-time HD/SD encoders and decoders. Based on HEVC/H.265 compression, they enable video quality with up to 50 percent bandwidth savings. The latest enhancements include support for the Main 4:2:2 profile (8/10-bits) with optimal sub-second latency. Avantos also supports Main and Main-10 profiles for HD (720p and 1080i) and SD (480i, 575i) signals, and MPEG-1, AAC, Dolby AC3 and EAC3 streams for audio.

Sapec will also highlight its fourth-generation Altum-II HDTV video and audio encoders supporting H.264/MPEG-2 Main, High, and H422 profiles with lower latency and power consumption, and its Gredos video encoders and integrated receiver decoders (IRDs) for DSNG, including new support for Carrier ID. For today’s multi-platform distribution world, Gredos devices support contribution and distribution over ASI, IP, and L-Band connections for MPEG-2/H.264 video in SD and HD. 

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Sapecwill be in booth SU12221. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.