History of high definition television
Efforts have been made since 1936 to increase the video resolution of current television broadcasts. This collection of television standards is known as high definition television . Today's implementation is high definition television .
Analog television era (approx. 1930–1980)
Black and White (1930s – 1950s)
In November 1936, when the fully electronic BBC Television Service started broadcasting , the black and white 405-line system by Marconi / EMI was designated as high-resolution for the first time , in order to distinguish it from the other attempts at that time with initially only 30 (from 1928), later 120 lines by John Logie Baird (also Great Britain) and 180 lines (used in Germany by the television station Paul Nipkow ). It was broadcast from the south-east tower of Alexandra Palace (Wood Green, London). A plaque commemorates this event.
TV transmission with 1029 lines (early HDTV)
In the summer of 1940, for the first time in the history of television technology, a television picture of more than 1000 lines was shown to a selected group. The transmission took place according to the interlaced process with 1029 lines and 25 image changes. The construction of this transmission system was intended to clarify the means with which images of such high resolution can be produced and whether the effect of such images is worth the effort associated with increasing the number of lines. The possibility of transmitting these high-resolution images wirelessly or via cable should also be explored. Initially, only a probe tube came into question as the scanning device, since this has a mechanically defined scanning aperture and the image point size can also be varied within certain limits by changing the electron-optical imaging scale.
The image size on the photocathode is approximately 5 cm × 6 cm. With a cathode sensitivity of 40 μA / lumen, after amplification via a 21-stage secondary amplifier at a resistance of 500 ohms, a sufficiently shot-free image signal of around 50 mV results. The amplifiers transmit frequencies of up to 20 MHz without visible delay errors in the image; the carrier-frequency bandwidth is limited to ± 15 MHz for double sideband transmission (30% drop in amplitude).
A small transmitter with a wavelength of 1.5 m with an antenna power of around 10 watts, the output stage of which is modulated on the brake grille, was built, as was the associated receiver, whose intermediate frequency band is 40 to 70 MHz. The IF amplifier has six push-pull stages with the EFF 50 tube. With wireless transmission, the large bandwidth makes it difficult to keep jammers away from the IF section. Wavelengths in the decimeter range have proven to be more suitable for transmission, so that the mixer does not allow frequencies of the IF band to pass through. As an experiment, cable transmission was also carried out over a length of about 30 m, with a characteristic impedance of the cable of 150 ohms. This transmission system contains 27 amplifier stages including the modulation and demodulation stages. There was no noticeable reduction in the original image quality. Receivers were built that met the high demands on resolution. Special amplifiers required to achieve the high control voltage and whose output stage worked in the grid current range were developed. Projection tubes measuring 18 cm have also been manufactured, the sharpness required to display 1029 lines being achieved by using a long concentrating coil. The received images had an extraordinarily high brilliance and perfect sharpness, which exceeded that of a 16 mm cine film image.
The tests showed that the transmission of television pictures with 1029 lines is quite possible with the available technical means. The image quality that can be achieved when all possibilities are exhausted, however, significantly exceeds the requirements that are placed on good image transmission, at least for home reception.
The development and construction of the television sets described above was a joint effort by the Fernseh GmbH, in which, in addition to Rolf Möller and Georg Schubert, who, as technical managing directors, determined the general direction of development, and the physicists and development engineers, numerous other employees also play a part, especially the abundance the associated technical detail work.
As early as the definition of the world's normal definition television standards at the end of the 1940s, the number of lines and the video bandwidth had to be defined significantly less than what was desirable. In practice, 80 to 90 MHz high frequency bandwidth (HF) was available for the transmission of television . Manageable and affordable high frequency technology ended at 200 to 300 MHz. It took around 25 years for recording and playback technology to begin to exhaust the formats with 405 ( Great Britain ) to 819 lines ( France ). The mains frequency was originally used to synchronize the images. This is 50 Hz (Europe, Africa, Asia (including eastern Japan), Australia) or 60 Hz (America, western Japan, South Korea). The images were sent at half the network frequency, i.e. 25 or 30 images per second. This made it possible to achieve a fluid impression of movement, which, however, is not sufficient to avoid flickering. The interlacing method helps here, which sends two fields with offset lines (interlaced). The first field with lines 1, 3, 5, 7 ... and the second with 2, 4, 6, 8 ... This ensures that the picture no longer flickers, the individual line still flickers, which, however, does not occur at an appropriate viewing distance notices.
Color (1950s – 1980s)
The first public color television programs were broadcast in the USA in 1953 using the NTSC method (525 lines, of which a maximum of 486 were visible); Europe followed in 1966 with the French SECAM and the PAL method developed by Walter Bruch (625 lines). Bruch (at Telefunken) also invented the basics for the MAC system (introduced in 1973 as “Trisec”), which was later further developed in Europe to become D2-MAC (625 lines) and HD-MAC (1250 lines). Regardless of the problem of the various standards (NTSC, PAL, SECAM), the first attempts at HDTV took place in the late 1970s to early 1980s. The driving forces were the IEEE and the SMPTE .
Investigation results
From their investigations in the period 1978 to 1982 the following goals for high-definition television resulted: The number of lines should be increased to 1125 to 1500 (color) or 2125 (black and white) in order to make the line structure imperceptible and a sharper picture with more details to show. The aspect ratio should be stretched from 4: 3 to 5: 3 to 6: 3 in order to approximate the human field of vision and the cinema projection. To reduce the flickering of larger, bright areas and horizontal lines, the field frequency should be increased to at least 60 Hz and, as soon as technically possible, further improved by multiple readings and displays of digital image memories. The image sharpness should be improved by increasing the video bandwidth for the brightness signal to 20 to 50 MHz. The separate transmission of chrominance and brightness signal with bandwidths between 5.5 and 12.5 MHz would prevent cross-luminance interference (crosstalk of color information in the brightness transmission). As with stereo audio signals, video should in future also be transmitted by frequency instead of amplitude modulation , which should reduce noise, ghosting and other interferences. Since this would mean a utopian high RF bandwidth without the video irrelevance coding, which only became available later, only satellite and fiber optics would be considered as transmission methods, with 60 standard and 30 HDTV channels being sought. Due to the high costs that HDTV would have brought with it at the time and the uncertain technical development in the digital sector, the introduction was postponed indefinitely.
In 1979, Broder Wendland started his first research on HDTV in the Federal Republic of Germany at the Institute for Telecommunications at the University of Dortmund . Wendland developed the technical basis for an independent HDTV system, which in turn formed the starting point for the European, so-called "Eureka standard" as a proposed HDTV standard from Europe. The Heinrich Hertz Institute also began its research in the early 1980s on the “high-resolution display of colored moving images” and other issues relating to HDTV. From 1986 on, research was coordinated and bundled across Europe as part of the EUREKA research initiative . In the United States, interest in HDTV began in 1982 when the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) established an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) in Washington. Since then, there has been various researches and developments in the field of television systems in the USA, not just for HDTV but also for intermediate forms.
Partially digital time (1980s – 1990s)
MAC
In the late 1980s, HDTV came back into discussion in Europe. In contrast to the feasibility studies ten years earlier, this venture concentrated more on a viable upgrade path and developed the MAC ( Multiplexed Analogue Components ) process. HD-MAC was to be the second stage of an improvement, the first stage of which was the D- or D2-MAC developed for satellite transmission , which, however, for various reasons could not gain acceptance with end users (with the exception of Scandinavian pay-TV).
HD-MAC is a very complex analog-digital hybrid signal, generated with a modified D2-MAC encoder. It transmits 1250 lines / picture and 50 fields / second in 16: 9 format and could be decoded with a 625-line D2-MAC receiver in normal resolution, whereby in contrast to earlier analog methods, all lines could be used for the picture. The 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona were partially broadcast in this standard and demonstrated across Europe with around a hundred HD-MAC receivers (some large rear projection devices) at selected locations. The production of high-quality video films in HDTV quality and 16: 9 was financially supported by the EU for many years; its fourfold resolution is still noticeable in high quality PALplus or digital broadcasts even on good PAL (plus) or digital receivers.
MUSE
In Japan, preliminary investigations into HDTV had taken place since 1964. From 1989 to 2007 programs in the MUSE format were broadcast via satellite in HDTV parallel to the SDTV format with 480 lines.
MUSE transmitted analogue images, but digital post-processing was necessary. Images were subsampled 2: 1 vertically and horizontally, but the scanning raster was changed from image to image. Stationary picture elements could therefore be reconstructed with full resolution (1600 × 960), moving elements only with half resolution (800 × 480).
PALplus
One approach to improving the quality of analog technology in Europe was PALplus in the mid-1990s . The principle improves the vertical resolution of films with aspect ratios of 16: 9 and larger. The differences in quality are very clearly visible on fully PALplus-capable 16: 9 sets (and only there!) - roughly comparable to anamorphic and non-anamorphic DVDs. With PALplus, the color resolution is doubled compared to standard PAL through the use of auxiliary pulses. Cross-color effects no longer occur. PALplus did not catch on because too few channels (in Germany only a few public broadcasters, Premiere , ProSieben and FAB ) broadcast and the first PALplus sets were far too expensive. In addition, 16: 9 can also be transmitted in an anamorphic manner on the digital transmission path . The newer generations of 16: 9 tube televisions recognize the carrier signal and switch the broadcast content to the entire visible area in full format. It is the same with plasma and LCD televisions, which are built in 16: 9 format.
Fully digital time (since approx. 1990)
Today's processes are based on pure digital technology between the broadcast studio and the living room, ideally even between image generation and display. In the case of fully digital processes, in contrast to analog video standards, in order to assess an actual image quality, for the first time not only the image resolution but also the degree of video compression must be included in an assessment. Video compression is represented by an efficiency (bit / px) or, depending on a selected resolution, by a bit rate in Mbit / s.
The first major efforts towards fully digital transmission were made in the late 1980s. Building on the experience of the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG: Still Image Compression), the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG: Moving Image + Audio) was founded. The aim was to create worldwide standards that allow good image quality with low data rates and affordable electronics. The methods ( ADPCM ) developed in the early 1980s are completely unsuitable for this, as they hardly make use of redundancies in the image. The following data rates in bits per pixel are common nowadays:
| Procedure | application | Efficiency (bit / px) |
|---|---|---|
| RGB 24 | 24 | |
| YCbCr 4: 2: 2 | PostPro, broadcasting | 16 |
| YCbCr 4: 2: 0 | 12 | |
| ADPCM | Draft HDTV via Sat. | 5-6 |
| M-JPEG | 2.4-3 | |
| DV SP | 2.4 | |
| DV LP | 1.8 | |
| MPEG-1 | 0.4-0.8 | |
| VCD | 0.47 | |
| MVCD (constant bit rate) | ||
| MPEG-2 | MVCD (variable bit rate) | |
| SVCD | ||
| 0.3-0.6 | ||
| DVD | 0.4-0.8 | |
| M-JPEG 2000 | Digital cinema | 0.1-0.8 |
| MPEG-4 ASP | DivX , Xvid | 0.2-0.4 |
| MPEG-4 AVC | H.264 ( x264 , Nero Digital ) | 0.06-0.10 |
The specified range is roughly what is necessary for satisfactory to good playback. Modern solutions are at least an order of magnitude better than ADPCM. Due to this high efficiency, six digital programs of constant quality can be transmitted via satellite or cable and three to four digital programs via terrestrial antenna - or one or two HD channels - can be transmitted in the frequency range required for an analogue channel.
At the moment transmission is mainly via satellite and cable, but terrestrial and Internet transmission ( IPTV ) are also possible. The distribution across these systems varies from country to country.
In North America, ATSC is used as a terrestrial transmission. The maximum data transmission rate of 19.2 Mbit / s is stipulated there, but this cannot be maintained from the broadcaster to the end customer, as so-called independent networks are located within the transmission paths, which are allowed to change the signal in order to adapt it to their own conditions Adapt the power supply. This happens mainly with cable and terrestrial transmission. The video compression is MPEG-2, and the sound compression is MPEG Audio and Dolby Digital.
The DVB standard is used in Europe and is mainly broadcast via satellite. The first cable companies are just starting to add HD channels to their networks. In France, tests are currently being carried out with the DVB-T called TNT. In contrast to Germany, H.264 is used as video coding for SDTV right from the start . England's BBC feeds a BBC-HD variant into the Freeview-baptized DVB-T network in the London area. There is also a down push through Low Bandwidth Broadcasting tested.
In the early test period, DVB-S was used for satellite transmission, but later switched to DVB-S2 . Most of the current HD channels in Europe use DVB-S2 for regular operation; If new connections are announced, only DVB-S2 is mentioned. In contrast to DVB-S, it uses improved error correction during modulation and can therefore use the bandwidth up to 30% more effectively. DVB-C is retained in the cable network; no extended version, similar to the DVB-S2, is required. All of them use effective MPEG-4 / AVC video compression.
Transmission on the Internet is possible, but still a long way from normal operation. There are a few websites with HD videos to be found, but these are only cinema trailers that can be downloaded. HD movies recorded on television are sometimes distributed via file sharing networks , but these are certainly copies that are questionable in terms of copyright. Commercial services for IPTV or VoD do not yet exist for HDTV. The German Telecom has an IPTV service based on the VDSL constructed -Netzes 25 or 50 Mbit / s, in which the Premiere-HD channels, and league games in HD are fed (1080i). However, this network will initially only be set up in a few metropolitan areas.
Europe
The delayed start in Europe compared to North America and Southeast Asia enables the new providers to start with more modern, cost-saving processes ( MPEG-4-AVC and DVB-S2 ). In addition, prerecorded HD media, such as the Blu-ray Disc , will be launched on the market at the same time .
After the start of the new, pan-European satellite television broadcaster Euro1080 - now " HD-1 " - there were several public test broadcasts in MPEG-2 from 2004, in Germany in particular by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG . In addition to some major live events such as the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 or the 2004/05 UEFA Cup final, documentaries such as the BBC in particular have been produced for a long time in high resolution or on film that can be scanned later in order to be able to sell them better internationally. In the largest television markets of Germany, Great Britain and France, the respective large pay-TV channels postponed the actually targeted HDTV start for Christmas 2005 because of the decision on the new bandwidth-saving MPEG-4 AVC standard and started in the first half of 2006. They hoped, especially with football -World Cup in Germany to be able to attract spectators.
Free-to-air private and public broadcasters have so far been reluctant to introduce them in most European countries.
Germany
In Germany, from October 26, 2005 to February 16, 2008, the ProSiebenSat.1 media group broadcast its programs parallel to normal operation via DVB-S2 in up-converted HDTV (1080i), while some films were even broadcast in full HDTV resolution. The actual station logos were given the addition "HD". However, the two channels ProSieben HD and Sat.1 HD were temporarily switched off on February 16, 2008. A renewed activation took place together with kabel eins HD encrypted via the HD + platform of the satellite operator SES Astra on January 30, 2010. The RTL Group also broadcasts its two channels RTL and VOX in HDTV quality ( 1080i ) via HD +, but already since November 1, 2009. In 2010, HD offshoots from Sport1 , RTL II and sixx were added to the portfolio. The channels sixx HD and Sport1 HD were technically only able to broadcast programs in native HD from the end of 2011.
For the HD + platform of the satellite provider SES-Astra , among other things, special receiving devices (HD-capable television with built-in satellite tuner or external HDTV satellite receiver) are required. The RTL Group spoke out in favor of the pseudo successor to the Common Interface (CI) contained in the DVB standard called CI + , which is not included in the DVB standard. According to SES-Astra information, HD + is not compatible with previous reception technology and for this reason requires new receivers that also offer appropriate copy protection options and can prevent the recording or skipping of advertisements during TV recordings and time-shifted TV . Despite this previous statement from SES-Astra, TechniSat and Humax have already announced firmware updates and hardware solutions for using the HD + range with previous recipients. CI + modules including smart cards have been available since April 2010 , which enable HD + reception with interface-compatible devices. Whether these retrofit modules guarantee full compatibility of current receivers with the planned HD + or CI + standard compared to the later specially newly developed HD + receivers seems questionable at the moment.
The free-to-air broadcaster Anixe HD has been broadcasting a full program in HD with series, feature films and magazines since May 2006 ; At times, current cinema previews and the travel channel “Lastminute.tv” can even be seen in good HD quality (1080i). Individual sports of the 2008 Olympic Games were shown as a repeat in the evening. At times, the station even broadcast its late-evening program in 3D in "side-by-side" format for test purposes .
Despite the rapid spread of appropriately equipped devices in households, the German public broadcasters were rather cautious , probably due to the investments required for production and broadcast technology. Since July 1, 2008, ARTE has been broadcasting parallel to normal SD TV operations on ARTE HD Germany in the high-definition television standard 720p50, while the French HD branch broadcasts the original production format in 1080i.
Since February 12, 2010, Erste and ZDF have also been broadcasting in high definition 720p. Before that, the two broadcasters began the preparation phase for HDTV as part of the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August 2009. The first television series were switched to HD production in mid-2008. The proportion of native HD productions was gradually expanded, the remaining contributions were upscaled. For the IFA and for Christmas 2008 and 2009 as well as for the World Athletics Championships 2009 Einsfestival broadcast on the simulcast channel Einsfestival HD in 720p. Einsfestival HD started regular operations at the beginning of December 2013.
Since the analogue satellite television was switched off in 2012, the major third-party programs ( BR , WDR , NDR , SWR , Phoenix ) have also been broadcast in 720p . Since that day, ZDF has also been broadcasting its digital programs ( ZDFinfokanal , ZDFkultur and ZDFneo ) and 3sat in HD. On December 5, 2013, MDR , hr , rbb , Tagesschau24 , Einsfestival and Einsplus followed suit .
From December 3, 2005, the pay-TV channel Premiere offered three HD channels (1080i). Since HDCP copy protection is required by the large film studios for Premiere HD Film , only standard definition is available via the analog receiver outputs. With Premiere HD Sport and Discovery HD , however, this procedure was not used. From November 2006, one HD channel was discontinued: sports and film channels were merged into one offer. Since July 4, 2009, the successor Sky has been broadcasting seven programs in HD: Sky Sport HD , Sky Cinema HD , Discovery HD , National Geographic HD , History HD , Disney Cinemagic HD and Eurosport HD . These have been supplemented since August 13, 2010 by Sky Action HD , Sky Cinema Hits HD, Sky Sport 2 HD and from October 2010 by the event channel Sky 3D ( side-by-side format) and ESPN America HD. The HD channels Sky Sport Extra HD have been announced for August 2011 and Sky Sport News HD for December 2011.
Since June 1, 2010, the encrypted channels Mezzo HD , myZen HD , Luxe HD , fashion HD and bebe TV HD have been broadcast via satellite in the television package . However, Luxe HD has long been free to receive via “Eurobird 9” on 9 degrees east, also with a German soundtrack.
Since May 16, 2011, on the IPTV platform of Telekom Entertain the German MTV Networks transmitter VIVA HD , Nickelodeon HD and Comedy Central HD at no additional cost and MTV HD in HD package received too.
While the public broadcasters generally broadcast their HD programs without additional fees, most of the HD offerings from private broadcasters are pay-TV or basic-encrypted programs that are broadcast on the HD + platform for a fee.
Austria
In Austria, since the European Football Championship in 2008, the public broadcaster ORF has broadcast its first domestic program, ORF Eins, in high definition. Transmission is carried out using the 720p method in accordance with the EBU guidelines listed below on a separate channel called ORF eins HD . All EM games as well as studio interviews were broadcast in high definition in HD. The entire program is now running in 720p. Since the end of November 2009, the second national program ORF 2 in 720p process on 2 HD ORF aired.
The two special interest channels ORF III and ORF Sport Plus have been broadcasting in 720p since October 26, 2014.
In addition to the two ORF programs, Servus TV , ATV (both free of charge) and Puls 4 (for a fee) also broadcast in HD via satellite . The 1080i method is used for all of them. Local programs are also available in HD on some cable television networks.
In addition, the pay-TV provider Sky currently offers ten TV channels in HD quality.
Since April 2013, the most important programs (namely those of ORF and ServusTV, which remain free after registration, as well as several German private channels for a monthly fee) can also be received in HDTV via Muxe D, E and F in DVB-T2 via the terrestrial platform SimpliTV .
Switzerland
In Switzerland, from December 2007 to January 2012, SRG offered television in HD resolution (720p) for all language regions on a 24-hour community channel called HD suisse . Since February 29, 2012, instead of the discontinued HD Suisse, the six main public service channels of SRG have been broadcast in the progressive HDTV format 720p / 50. Since March 23, 2015, SRF info can be received partially unencrypted in HD quality via satellite.
Sweden
The Swedish pay TV provider Canal + has been broadcasting the HD channel C More HD via satellite since the beginning of September 2005 and, unlike other HD channels, uses the older DVB-S and MPEG-2 (1080i). The program can be received throughout Scandinavia , with the original sound and all Scandinavian language subtitles. The Swedish ÖR broadcaster SVT has been broadcasting an HDTV program on the same satellite (Thor, 1 degree west) since February 2007.
Great Britain
In Great Britain, Sky has been broadcasting its paid offer on HD channels since May 22, 2006. HD-capable hard disk recorders are offered right from the start, and HDCP and analog output switch-off will be dispensed with for the beginning. The public service BBC is preparing regular HDTV operations and broadcasting the 2006 World Cup matches via satellite and in parts of London via DVB-T. Then the BBC began with the “HDTV Trial” on Astra, 28.2 ° East, unencrypted and broadcasts preview trailers from various HD productions during the day and full programs such as series and feature films in the evening, all in full HDTV resolution 1080i. In Great Britain, the official broadcast of HDTV programs via antenna in the new DVB-T2 standard will begin at the end of 2009. The BBC and the technical service provider Arqiva want to supply London by the end of 2009 and from spring 2010 will also offer terrestrial HDTV in the greater Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds and Bradford areas.
Poland
In Poland, three different television platforms broadcast their programs in HD, Cyfra + , Cyfrowy Polsat and n . The channels Ale Kino + HD, Animal Planet HD , AXN HD , AXN Spin HD , BBC HD, BBC Knowledge HD, Canal + HD , Canal + Film HD , Canal + Gol HD, Canal + Sport HD, Canal + Weekend HD, Cinemax HD , Cinemax 2 can be received HD, Czwórka na Wizji HD, Discovery HD Showcase, Domo + HD, Eurosport HD , Eurosport 2 HD , Filmbox HD, FOX HD , FOXlife HD, HBO HD , HBO 2 HD, HBO Comedy HD, History , Hyper + HD, Kuchnia + HD, MGM HD, MiniMini + HD, MTV Live HD , National Geographic Channel HD , Nat Geo Wild HD, Next Lejdis HD, Next Man HD, NEXT Music + HD, NEXT TV HD, Next Young HD, Nickelodeon HD , Novela TV HD, nPremium HD, nPremium 2 HD, nPremium 3 HD, nPremium 4 HD, nSport HD, Planete + HD, Polsat HD , Polsat Sport HD, Polsat Sport Extra HD, Romance TV HD, teleTOON + HD, Travel Channel HD, TVN HD , TVN 7 HD , TVN Style HD, TVN Turbo HD, TVP HD , TVP1 HD , TVP2 HD , Viasat History HD, Viasat Nature HD, Water Planet HD and Wojna i Pokój HD.
Russia
In 2006 the company "Iskratelekom" started test runs of television stations in high definition quality. On April 27, 2007, the pay-TV channel NTW Plus presented the first channel packages in HD. In 2009, state GOST certification was issued for high definition television in Russia . In June 2012, the largest Russian satellite television provider, Trikolor TV, added 20 HD channels to its program. At the time, the estimated auditorium of HDTV viewers numbered around 250,000 people. Since December 2012, the main state television channels Pervy kanal and Rossija 1 have been broadcasting in HD. At the end of 2013, "J'son & Partners Consulting" estimates that 7.1 million Russian households were already receiving high definition television. As of April 16, 2015, the following HDTV channels exist in Russia: Perwy Kanal HD, Rossija 1 HD, NTW HD, RT HD, Mir HD, Sport 1 HD, Russian Travel Guide HD, Nasch futbol HD, KCHL TV HD, Doschd HD (excluded from most cable networks in February 2014), LifeNews HD, HD Sport, NTW Plus Futbol 1 HD, NTW Plus Futbol 2 HD, NTW Plus Futbol 3 HD, HD Kino, HD Kino 2, HD Life, KinoPremium HD, Semejnoje HD, Nasche HD, Ostrosjuschetnoje Kino HD, Kinopokas HD-1, Kinopokas HD-2, Amedia HD, Ameda Premium HD, Ochotnik i rybolow HD, Teletravel HD, Eureka HD, Schiwaja priroda HD, 360 ° Podmoskowje HD, IQ HD, Obschestvennoe televidenie Rossii HD, Wmeste-RF HD, Straschnoe HD. In addition, there are some HD channels of foreign origin.
Turkey
In Turkey, Doğan TV (Kanal D) was the first to bring HDTV technology to television. On September 27, 2006, Kanal D began HDTV tests; with the official broadcast on October 1, 2006. The channel was discontinued a short time later, because channel D initially only wanted to test the technology and gain experience. After a one and a half year break, Kanal D HD was launched regularly in D-Smart's pay-TV service in August 2008 , together with three other HD channels (HD Smart, Discovery HD, Eurosport HD). A year earlier, the competitor Digiturk had already switched on the first HD channels: LİG TV , a football channel that broadcasts the Turkish League ( Süper Lig ), has also been broadcasting in HDTV since June 20, 2007, as did another 5 in the course of the year HD channels connected to Eutelsat W3A , which have been available for subscription since January 2008 (Moviemax HD, Dizimax HD, National Geographic HD, Eurosport HD, Spormax HD). Since January 2010, Digitürk has added 7 more HD channels. These would be: Dizimax More HD, Moviemax Premier HD, Penthouse HD (soft erotic channels), PremierLeague HD (English Premier League), MovieMax Stars HD, Fox Sports HD and NatGeo Wild HD. This means that in October 2010 exactly 13 HDTV channels can be subscribed to in the Digitürk package that broadcast in FullHD 1080i via DVB-S2. The state television broadcaster Türkiye Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu (TRT) broadcast the 2008 Olympic Games in HDTV, but the channel TRT 3 HD was switched off again after the games. There are concrete plans to start a permanent HD channel for the 2010 soccer World Cup. The private broadcaster Show TV plans to broadcast its programs in HDTV via the Digiturk platform at the end of 2009.
France
In France, there were HD test broadcasts via Hotbird from TF1 and Canal + as early as 2005, and several pay-TV and free programs are now also represented terrestrially in HDTV.
Hungary
The Hungarian public service Magyar Televízió also began broadcasting HDTV before the Olympic Games in August 2008. The channels M1 HD and M2 HD currently only broadcast a few weekly, the third public service broadcaster Duna HD - operated by Duna Televízió - in contrast, several HD programs daily and all three channels are made available free of charge via DVB-T. The proportion of HDTV broadcasts at major sporting events is much higher. In the pay-TV publishers to provide cable and satellite more Hungarian-language private HD channels are available, including ATV HD, HBO HD, Filmbox HD , Discovery HD , History HD , Euro Sport HD and Digisport HD.
Albania
Albania currently has eight HDTV channels, four of which are for sports television. The Digitalb company set this up in February 2008.
Croatia
In March 2007 Croatian television began to test broadcast terrestrial HDTV in the area of the capital Zagreb . (see infrastructure, transport and telecommunications in Croatia )
Slovenia
RTV Slovenija is also broadcasting a terrestrial HDTV signal in the capital Ljubljana for the Olympic Games in Beijing .
Since autumn 2013, the two main programs of RTV Slovenija have also been broadcast nationwide in HDTV via DVB-T, previously they could only be received via cable or IPTV.
America
In the late 1980s, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began a tender to create a new television standard for the United States , later calling on competing firms to pool their resources and manpower. These were formed under the Grand Alliance in 1993. In the 1990s, a decisive step for the introduction of HDTV was taken in the USA: By law, all national broadcasters ( ABC , CBS , NBC , FOX ) were obliged to broadcast digitally from 2006 onwards so that the analog broadcast could be ended.
On July 23, 1996, CBS- owned WRAL from Raleigh (North Carolina) became the first television station in the USA to broadcast a digital HD signal. This HDTV broadcast was a major league baseball game and was shown on the only HDTV screen available at the time, a 46-inch Panasonic test monitor, in a Dallas Circuit City store. The test was set up directly by Panasonic's television division and was the first official, commercial HD broadcast in the United States.
By 1998, more and more HDTVs became available and HD broadcasts began nationwide - the first being the launch of the space shuttle Discovery and John Glenn's return to space . This was partly technically made possible by the Harris Corporation .
Since the year 2000, broadcasters in the USA have increasingly used HDTV in prime time (evenings). Sales of HD-capable televisions, LCD and plasma screens , as well as the associated HD receivers, are large, and the demand continues to grow. Nevertheless, the scheduled shutdown of analog television in 2004 was postponed to 2007 because the effort had been underestimated.
The terrestrial standard used is ATSC , mostly in 1080i60, more rarely 720p60. The multi-channel sound is in Dolby AC3 format . When it comes to HDTV reception via satellite, there are currently only two providers: “DirecTV” and “Dish Network” each with their own MPEG2-HD receivers. The switch to the more efficient MPEG4-AVC began in mid-2006 100 HDTV channels to be received via DirecTV .
In Canada , US channels and thus also their HD broadcasts are received, but the first HD broadcast of the local CBC was not carried out until November 22, 2003 with the NHL ice hockey game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montréal Canadiens . Since then, Bell ExpressVu , a Canadian satellite broadcaster, Rogers Cable and Videotron have broadcast more than 21 HDTV channels from all genres. CTV Toronto and its western counterpart BC CTV were also the first to broadcast HDTV via terrestrial ATSC. The 2006 NHL playoffs were accompanied by a further increase in HDTV coverage.
The Mexican television company Televisa conducted experiments in HDTV broadcasts in collaboration with the Japanese NHK in the early 1990s . During the first half of 2005, cable company Cablevision began offering five HD channels and hard disk recorders in Mexico City . In 2005, TV Azteca signed with Harris Corporation for digital television broadcast systems and HDTV encoders to bring high definition to nine Mexican cities. The launch will be carried out in two phases. In the third quarter of 2006, HDTV broadcasts should be available in Mexico's largest markets, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Phase two will be the national roll-out, which will bring HDTV signals to six cities (Matamoros, Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Juarez, Mexicali and Tijuana) along the Mexican border with the US. The aim is to take advantage of the fact that HD receivers are already available in these areas thanks to the earlier HDTV start on the US opposite side.
In Brazil , televisions with native 480p resolution have been offered since 2001, mainly for SDTV and DVD use. The first native 720p LCD sets were offered from 2003 .
It took the Brazilian government a long time to weigh which standard to use for digital television. On June 29, 2006, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a decree introducing ISDB as the national standard. The transition to ISDB should take nine years. The implementations of improvements to the standard proposed by Brazilian researchers will probably not be integrated by Japanese ISDB managers due to incompatibilities, but will only be made available for all ISDB countries in future extensions.
Asia
Japan and South Korea, which traditionally also use an NTSC format with 60 Hz (eastern Japan 50 Hz), are also well advanced with the introduction of HDTV. Several programs are broadcast via satellite and terrestrial. Japan opted for its own ISDB and South Korea uses the American ATSC .
Japan already used analog methods (MUSE) for the transmission of HDTV, but the old standard was not able to transmit the new digital standard. Digital high-definition satellite television was first broadcast on December 1, 2000 by NHK with a resolution of 1920 × 1080i in the ISDB-S standard. Further HDTV channels followed later on the BSAT satellite platform. In December 2003, the regular terrestrial channels of Japan started broadcasting via ISDB-T. It is reported that two million HD receivers have already been sold.
In South Korea , broadcasters are required to set a quota of at least 10 hours per week for broadcasts in HD in the first year of regular commercial operation.
As of January 1, 2008, four Chinese television stations have introduced trial broadcasts with HDTV. Since September 28, 2009, nine Chinese channels have officially broadcast HDTV programs in their programs. The nine channels are CCTV 1, BTV, DragonTV, GuangdongTV, ShenzhenTV, ZhejiangTV, HunanTV, HeilongjiangTV and JiangsuTV. By the end of 2009, HDTV programs were broadcast around 6-7 hours a day. The broadcasting area and length of the HDTV programs will be expanded in 2010.
Although the local authorities in Hong Kong set a time to commit to an HDTV standard in late 2006, there are political and economic considerations. The Chinese mainland will have a say in the selection in order to monitor this medium in the immediate vicinity of Hong Kong, but also to remain as compatible as possible with its own planned HDTV, which has also not yet been selected. Hong Kong broadcasters are striving for this compatibility in order to be able to broadcast to the lucrative South Chinese market without costly format conversion.
Official HDTV testing began on May 31, 2006 in Singapore . There were Mediacorp , which broadcast HD via DVB-T, and Starhub CableVision , which broadcast HD via DVB-C. Both broadcast in 1080i and 50 Hz in order to keep the frame rate compliant with the traditionally used PAL. The test run among 1000 selected participants will be completed at the end of the year, when Mediacorp and Starhub will probably also open the service to other customers.
Australia
Australia was the first country with HDTV regular operation in 50 Hz and with MPEG-2 via DVB (via satellite and terrestrial), but there are also some resolutions (such as 576p 50) that are only classified as EDTV elsewhere . Australia started in January 2001, but it wasn't until August 2003 that HD was required. According to this, commercial broadcasters must broadcast at least 1,000 hours of high-resolution material per year (non-commercial ABC is allowed to convert old material). Since 2005, all national broadcasting chains (ABC, 7, Nine, TEN and SBS) have been broadcasting digitally and analogue in parallel from all terrestrial locations. The broadcasters ABC and SBS each broadcast an additional digital TV program and two digital radio programs. Starting in 2009, a further (second) digital program was released for each of the three national commercial broadcasting chains, and ABC will broadcast a third program. Each of the broadcasting networks mentioned also operates its own HD channel, the content of which corresponds to one of the SD channels.
See also
- History of television
- History of radio
- High definition television
- List of HDTV channels (television)
- UHDV
Web links
Wikinews: High Definition Television - On The News- Information portal of the Rhineland-Palatinate consumer center
- BITKOM study The future of digital consumer electronics - 2010 ( Memento from July 2, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- BITKOM position paper on the early start of broadcasting HD-TV
Individual evidence
- ↑ EBU-Tech 3312: Digital Terrestrial HDTV Broadcasting in Europe (PDF; 228 kB) on: www.ebu.ch, Genoa, February 2006 (English)
- ↑ HD films in file sharing networks: HDTV saturation already reached before the first channels appear? on: hdtvtotal.com, October 2, 2004
- ↑ Pro7HD | Start Sat1HD: ProSiebenHD and Sat.1HD have been broadcasting in high resolution simulcast mode and using the latest technology since today : wikinews.de, October 26, 2005
- ↑ HD +: ProSieben, Sat.1 and Kabel Eins start regular HDTV operations on player.de
- ↑ TV in HD quality: what you should know about the new HD +
- ↑ ProSiebenSat.1: HDTV restart with three channels on heise.de
- ↑ Press release of the consumer advice center NRW on HD + ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Humax-macht-alte-Receiver-per-Firmware-Update-HD-kompatibel-Update-7619.html
- ↑ CI Plus module for HD + reception is here: ProSieben, RTL & more in HDTV on player.de
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated August 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Press release from the consumer center on HD +
- ↑ Anixe HD: Free HDTV channel now shows evening programs in 3D
- ↑ First German TV series switched to HD production at heise online (visited on October 13, 2008)
- ↑ ARD press release: “Action week for the analog-digital switch” ( Memento of the original from April 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ ZDF wants to broadcast all programs in HD via satellite from May 1, 2012 on infosat.de from May 3, 2011
- ↑ ARD Digital: ARD in HD ( memento of the original from October 10, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The third programs from hr, MDR and rbb and from tagesschau24, Einsfestival and EinsPlus were launched on December 5, 2013 in HD on Digitalfernsehen.de on April 28, 2011
- ↑ Premiere will be Sky: This is what the new channels in the Sky HD package show on June 24, 2009 at tvdigital.de (visited on July 1, 2009)
- ↑ DWDL.de: Sky announces another Sport HD channel
- ↑ DWDL.de: Sky starts 24 hour sports news channel
- ↑ MTV Networks press release: MTV Networks starts with four HD simulcasts on Entertain ( Memento of the original from May 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ C More HD starts: First European feature film channel with high definition broadcasting in Scandinavia on: wikinews.de, October 15, 2005
- ↑ SkyHD starts: Sky HD advance orders hit 40,000 ( Memento of the original from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on: dtg.org.uk, May 5, 2006 (English)
- ↑ History of the NTW Plus station ( memento of the original from May 26, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ HDTV na Televiziji Slovenija. In: Monitor.si . June 11, 2008 (Slovenian).
- ^ Slovenian Multiplex A Transport Stream Analysis (Updated Hourly). In: IgorFuna.com . Retrieved December 5, 2013.
