UHD SPAIN SETS THE TREND AT THE NAB SHOW 2024

UHD Spain, the association that promotes Ultra High Definition in Spain, has had a large presence for the third consecutive year at the international fair ‘NAB Show 2024’ held in the U.S., from 13 to 17 April. In this edition, UHD Spain has beaten record participation, with 19 partners attending.

Agile Content, ATEME, Canon, Cires 21, COITT, Dolby, Egatel, EPAM, Fraunhofer IIS, Grup Mediapro, Gsertel, Rohde & Schwarz, Sapec, Synamedia, Tedial, TRedess 2010, TVU Networks, Video-Mos and 3Cat have presented their innovations at one of the world’s leading trade fairs for broadcast, entertainment and technology professionals.

The members of UHD Spain have presented their latest developments

Efficient transmission and broadcasting technology

At the NAB Show 2024, SAPEC demonstrated its readiness for the future of broadcast by presenting UHD solutions compatible with the SMPTE 2110 IP standard. From its booth in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, SAPEC showcased the latest technological evolutions of its LAGUNA, SIVAC-ONE and GREDOS II equipment, as well as solutions from its partners The CornerCam, Video-MOS and Acromove. Highlighting the introduction of SMPTE 2110 in its decoders and the incorporation of the RIST protocol for transporting content over public networks, SAPEC demonstrated its ability to adapt to new IP and hybrid workflows and its commitment to innovation in the broadcast industry.

GSERTEL, for its part, presented the latest solutions in measurement and monitoring equipment, including the Hexylon portable meter and RCS monitoring probes. At this macro audiovisual event in Las Vegas, GSERTEL highlighted HD Radio™ support in the FM probe and new features for the ATSC3.0/1.0 probe. In addition, its Hexylon 5G now supports 5G broadcast for advanced RF measurements.

Once again, Egatel successfully demonstrated its highly efficient and cost-effective TV transmitters, together with its experience in demanding projects.

Rohde & Schwarz has led its participation at NAB Show 2024 with the launch of the liquid-cooled R&S TE1 transmitter. This new device, considered the company’s most sustainable, is accompanied by a 24/7 remote monitoring service. Designed as the first post-Repack native ATSC 3.0 transmitter, it offers sustainable broadcasting in a connected world. The R&S TE1 promises to reduce operating costs and minimize carbon footprint, while creating new business opportunities. It is at least 15% more energy efficient than current best-of-breed designs and 40% more efficient than the average installed base, thanks to liquid-cooled transmitter technology from Rohde & Schwarz.

Transmission solutions and advanced services

As for Ateme, it has showcased advanced solutions for content and service providers to achieve more with less expense. They have presented solutions to improve audience engagement, including interactive video experiences and low-latency sports broadcasts, as well as AI-based solutions to monetize content. They have also showcased solutions for optimized workflows in the cloud, helping to reduce operational costs.

Dolby, hand in hand with the Hungarian company Colorfront, presented the new SDR to HDR Dolby Vision conversion process with Colorfront Transkoder. Attendees experienced the quality of Dolby Vision and the efficiency of Transkoder, highlighting the shared commitment of both companies to excellence in audiovisual production.

Innovation in production and broadcasting

Canon presented its focus on virtual production and its commitment to broadcast. In its booth highlighted an area of virtual production with LED technology, where they exhibited cameras and lenses adapted to these environments. They also showcased their low-light SPAD sensor technology and volumetric video systems. They presented the new CJ27ex7.3B lens, which combines mobility with an impressive 27x zoom ratio. In addition, they showed the family of RF cine lenses and improvements to the EOS C500 Mark II. Canon thus demonstrated its leadership in innovation and quality at NAB 2024.

Fraunhofer IIS presented innovative technologies in audio, video and streaming that will redefine industry standards. In collaboration with Fraunhofer FOKUS and Fraunhofer HHI, they have shown their latest research and technologies for broadcasting. Fraunhofer IIS showed advanced audio codecs and professional tools for digital media and film production at the show.

Dynamic video networks and efficient streaming

Synamedia displayed its portfolio of dynamic video networks, designed to connect sports fans around the world with high-quality streaming, unique experiences and efficient compression. They also showcased targeted advertising and piracy protection solutions. In addition, they have highlighted fast B2B distribution, captivating and efficient D2C streaming, intelligent and scalable perimeter delivery, cost-effective video compression and ad insertion options, among others, at their booth.

TVU Networks brought its complete cloud ecosystem to the table, including TVU MediaHub™. This platform revolutionizes video routing, simplifying the connection and distribution of content. It stands out for its ability to turn complex routing operations into an intuitive process, with real-time previews. In addition, the company announced updates to its ecosystem, such as TVU Search, powered by AI, which streamlines content ingest, editing and distribution. They also showcased TVU Producer, highlighting significant advances since its role in the live production of the 2024 Games Countdown for France Télévisions. In addition, visitors were able to experience immersive demos in the TVU Live Sports ecosystem, which allows them to control the action and narrative in real time. This dynamic participation highlights TVU Networks’ commitment to innovation and impact in live sports production.

Comprehensive and collaborative cloud solutions

Agile Content showed at the NAB Show 2024 how to enhance a user-centric TV experience with end-to-end innovation: Live Cloud Production, ASR subtitling, CDN Solutions, Super-Aggregation, TV-as-a-Service…

Málaga-based Tedial showed attendees its ‘smartWork’, an innovative no-code cloud integration platform designed for media professionals. At NAB24, Tedial presented new features that facilitate collaboration and interface customization, as well as its focus on empowering users and freeing them from vendor restrictions. In addition, Tedial has implemented ISO 27017 security standards to protect customer data.

Technology for broadcasters and network operators

TRedess 2010 showed its new range of solutions for broadcasters and DTT and radio network operators. Highlighting the ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast transmitters up to 5 kW power, with efficiencies of 42%. They have also presented a new repeater optimized for SFN networks in ATSC 3.0, as well as improved solutions for DAB+. In addition, they offer synchronization with their fully redundant MGNSS and enhanced functions for DVB-T2 and ISDB-T networks.

AI solutions for video streaming and real time streaming

Cires 21 was also present at this important event to present how its AI products and solutions for video streaming, ultra low latency and real time streaming are evolving.

EPAM presented a demonstration of its recommendation engine, powered by GenAI and AWS. In the session, they highlighted: the technology and capabilities of the recommendation engine; how to use this solution to create a personalized experience for viewers and encourage deeper interaction with their content catalog; and how to integrate the engine into their own systems.

GRUP MEDIAPRO, the Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Técnicos de Telecomunicación (COITT) and 3Cat also participated in the latest edition of the NAB Show, demonstrating the important Spanish participation in a fair that brings together the audiovisual sector of the five continents.

Thus, this very active participation of UHD Spain members represents a significant step in its strategy of international projection and promotion of Ultra High Definition in Spain. With a total of 39 companies from the Spanish audiovisual sector under its wing, the association is in a strong position to lead the introduction of the “television of the future” in the country.

About UHD Spain

UHD Spain is a non-profit association created on January 26, 2021 to promote Ultra High Definition (UHD) in Spain. Currently there are already 39 associated companies: ADM, Agile Content, Ametic, Ateme, Atresmedia, Axion, Canal Sur, Canon, CCMA, Cellnex, Cires21, COITT, Dolby, Egatel, EPAM, Fecotel, Fenitel, Forta, Fraunhofer IIS, Grup Mediapro, Gsertel, Henneo, Hispasat, Huri, Lavinia, Medina Media, Rohde & Schwarz, RTVE, Sapec, Secuoya, Synamedia, Tedial, Telecom CLM, Televés, TRedess, TVU Networks, UPM, Uteca, Vestel and Video-MOS.

Among the founding partners is the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, in particular with professors and researchers from the E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación, who have been working on UHD issues since 2015 through the RTVE Chair. It should be noted that in Europe only five countries have professional associations on Ultra High Definition: Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.