RTVE HIGHLIGHTS THE WORK OF UHD SPAIN IN THE ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION BROADCASTS OF LA 1
- Radio Televisión Española has taken a giant step forward by beginning to broadcast rеgularly the programming of La 1 in Ultra High Definition (UHD) throughout Spain.
- The coverage of these emissions reaches 99% of the Spanish population.
- Ángel García Castillejo, Director of Audiovisual Policies, Public Service and International of RTVE, has pointed out the important contribution of UHD SPAIN to this television milestone in our country.
Ultra High Definition is here to stay in all Spanish homes. This is a worldwide milestone, as it is the first time that a generalist television channel is broadcast in UHD, on DTT, and it covers almost the entire national territory, . In this way, La 1 can already be seen with the highest definition of image and sound currently available. The best thing is that it is totally free and accessible to everyone.
To announce this important audiovisual event, Torrespaña hosted an informative conference, in which Verónica Ollé, director of the Presidency Office of RTVE, highlighted the importance of this technological advance, recalling “the road we have traveled from the beginnings of analog television until reaching Ultra High Definition”.
For his part, Matías Gonzálеz Martín, Secretary of State for Telecommunications, spoke about the technical measures to favor the technological evolution, “preparing for future advances in video formats and transmission technologies”. Undoubtedly, the television horizon is very exciting.
It will also be exciting to be able to enjoy the next Olympic Games in Paris, as RTVE will broadcast in UHD this great sporting event to be held between July 26 and August 11 of this year.
As for the possible inconveniences that users may have to view La 1 in UHD, Víctor Sánchez García, director of Media and Operations at RTVE, explained that they will have no difficulty receiving the new channel in their homes: “It will be very easy to watch it. Regarding the bandwidth, it will be double the usual, so it will look “very good”, stressed Sánchez.
UHD SPAIN, a key player in this transformational process
Ángеl García Castillеjo, director of Audiovisual Policies, has highlighted the importance of this milestone to guarantee the right to information in all Spanish homes. “We are demonstrating with our work and our effort to the European Commission an efficient use of that scarce value that is the radio spectrum. We have shown that we can offer better image and sound quality in the open air”.
Castillejo did not want to miss the opportunity to thank the collaboration of the association UHD SPAIN and its contribution throughout this process in improving the quality of image and audio that citizens receive on their televisions: “With consensus as those reached in this sector of Ultra High Definition, we can be proud of all Spaniards. Our thanks to the UHD SPAIN association and all RTVE colleagues for achieving this (…) We already have an accumulated and collective experience. We have been working for years with UHD SPAIN, among others, testing broadcasts to make this technology possible”.
Likewise, Ramón Salat, Director of Strategic Opportunities at Cellnex Telecom, a partner of UHD SPAIN, explained at the information session that “Europe is a pioneer in broadcasting in Ultra High Definition. At Cellnex we believe that the main pillars of UHD are the quality of the content; the hybridization between broadcast and broadband; and reaching as many devices as possible”.
La 1 in Ultra High Definition in DTT
La 1’s Ultra High Definition broadcasts will be in 4K with High Dynamic Range and immersive Dolby Atmos audio. This means that the images will be more detailed and true to life, and the audio will be immersive and exciting. This is a unique sensory experience.
To enjoy these broadcasts, all you need is a DVB-T and HEVC compatible TV or set-top box. The best news is that most modern TV sets are compatible. Practically, since 2010 the devices are ready to support this new technology. No changes have to be made to antennas or signal distribution equipment, so it’s easy and accessible for everyone!
This progress shows that DTT continues to be a powerful platform for mass distribution of television content in Spain. And with the migration to Ultra High Definition, a bright and exciting future is assured for television in our country.
UHD SPAIN, at the cutting edge of television
It should be remembered that the UHD Spain association has already scored a global technological goal by projecting the Spain vs. Japan soccer match of the Qatar World Cup 2022, in a cinema in Madrid in 4K quality. A projection that was made in High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Dolby Atmos sound.
The President of UHD Spain, Pere Vila, stated at the time that this event was conceived and designed to be viewed on the latest generation of televisions, so it was a great challenge to transfer this experience to the cinema and obtained an excellent result.
Sobre UHD Spain
UHD Spain es una asociación sin ánimo de lucro creada el 26 de enero de 2021 para impulsar la Ultra Alta Definición (UHD) en España. Actualmente ya son 39 los miembros asociados: ADM, Agile Content, Ametic, Ateme, Atresmedia, Axión, Canal Sur, Canon, CCMA, Cellnex, Cires21, COITT, Dolby, Egatel, Fenitel, Forta, Fraunhofer, Gradiant, Gsertel, Henneo, Hispasat, Hurí, Lavinia, Mediapro, Medina Media, Optiva Media, Rohde & Schwarz, RTVE, Sapec, Synamedia, Tedial, Telecom CLM, Televés, TRedess, TVU Networks, UPM, Uteca, Vestel y Video-MOS.
Entre los socios fundadores se encuentra la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, en particular con profesores e investigadores de la E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación que llevan trabajando en temas de UHD desde 2015 a través de la Cátedra RTVE en la UPM. Cabe destacar que en Europa solo cinco países cuentan con asociaciones profesionales sobre la Ultra Alta Definición: Alemania, Francia, Reino Unido, Italia y España.