In a showcase that also features the first-ever end-to-end system for Brazil’s TV 3.0 system, video compression solutions provider V-Nova has announced the world’s first broadcast of a MPEG-5 LCEVC-enhanced channel by Brazilian media company Globo during the football World Cup in Qatar.
MPEG-5 part 2 LCEVC (Low Complexity Enhancement Video Coding) is the latest standard by MPEG and ISO. It specifies an enhancement layer which, when combined with a base video encoded with a separate codec, produces an enhanced video stream. It can boost the compression efficiency of any existing or future video codec, enabling higher quality at up to 40% lower bitrates.
It is also designed to provide compute savings (up to 4x) compared with using the base encoders in full resolution. The enhancement stream provides new features such as: Extending the compression capability of the base codec; lowering encoding and decoding complexity; providing a platform for additional future enhancements.
The new project features a live broadcast channel that uses the enhancement layer of LCEVC to convert an existing TV 2.0 signal into a High-Dynamic Range (HDR) 10-bit channel for the enabled receivers. Transmission happens over the existing ISDB-Tb system used in Brazil and is intended to lead the way to the forthcoming discussions on the inclusion of LCEVC in the TV 2.5 specification.
The showcase also features the first end-to-end trial over DASH streaming of an LCEVC-enhanced VVC video, as an example of the capabilities that are developing to support the upcoming TV 3.0 standard, Brazil’s next-generation DTT system that is being specified by the Brazilian SBTVD Forum and is due to be deployed in 2025. It is the first time these technologies are being used in a complete end-to-end production to provide 4K HDR video with immersive and personalised audio. The system will facilitate the distribution of current and future formats, including 8K resolution, HDR and Next-Generation Audio (NGA) to over-the-air broadcast (OTA) and over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms.
The LCEVC live showcase is running during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 from 20 November to 18 December 2022.
“It is amazing how fast this ecosystem is being formed, with various implementations based on software and hardware,” said Globo innovation specialist Carlos Cosme. “In this showcase, the base layer is a 1080i, 8-bit, SDR, BT.709 signal targeting current Brazilian TV sets. Using the information present in the enhancement layer, the LCEVC codec enhances the quality of the base layer and provides a video signal with improved quality, i.e., 1080p, 10-bit, HDR10, and BT.2020. In the second showcase, using the 4K production signal from the World Cup, we demonstrated the joint use of LCEVC with VVC, both technologies chosen by the SBTVD Forum to make up the technology stack of the future 3.0 TV in Brazil. We are very proud to be able to experience first-hand all these technologies operating together. “
“These two showcases with Globo in Brazil are extremely exciting. As part of a TV 2.5 trial, we were able to put on-air the first broadcast channel with LCEVC during the football World Cup. As part of the TV 3.0 trial, we are showcasing LCEVC-enhanced VVC live for the first time on an end-to-end system,” added V-Nova CEO Guido Meardi. “This would not have been possible without Globo and the dedication of several technology partners providing encoding, transmission, and decoding solutions to give as a view of the future of broadcast and streaming television, of which LCEVC will be a key enabler.”
It is also designed to provide compute savings (up to 4x) compared with using the base encoders in full resolution. The enhancement stream provides new features such as: Extending the compression capability of the base codec; lowering encoding and decoding complexity; providing a platform for additional future enhancements.
The new project features a live broadcast channel that uses the enhancement layer of LCEVC to convert an existing TV 2.0 signal into a High-Dynamic Range (HDR) 10-bit channel for the enabled receivers. Transmission happens over the existing ISDB-Tb system used in Brazil and is intended to lead the way to the forthcoming discussions on the inclusion of LCEVC in the TV 2.5 specification.
The showcase also features the first end-to-end trial over DASH streaming of an LCEVC-enhanced VVC video, as an example of the capabilities that are developing to support the upcoming TV 3.0 standard, Brazil’s next-generation DTT system that is being specified by the Brazilian SBTVD Forum and is due to be deployed in 2025. It is the first time these technologies are being used in a complete end-to-end production to provide 4K HDR video with immersive and personalised audio. The system will facilitate the distribution of current and future formats, including 8K resolution, HDR and Next-Generation Audio (NGA) to over-the-air broadcast (OTA) and over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms.
The LCEVC live showcase is running during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 from 20 November to 18 December 2022.
“It is amazing how fast this ecosystem is being formed, with various implementations based on software and hardware,” said Globo innovation specialist Carlos Cosme. “In this showcase, the base layer is a 1080i, 8-bit, SDR, BT.709 signal targeting current Brazilian TV sets. Using the information present in the enhancement layer, the LCEVC codec enhances the quality of the base layer and provides a video signal with improved quality, i.e., 1080p, 10-bit, HDR10, and BT.2020. In the second showcase, using the 4K production signal from the World Cup, we demonstrated the joint use of LCEVC with VVC, both technologies chosen by the SBTVD Forum to make up the technology stack of the future 3.0 TV in Brazil. We are very proud to be able to experience first-hand all these technologies operating together. “
“These two showcases with Globo in Brazil are extremely exciting. As part of a TV 2.5 trial, we were able to put on-air the first broadcast channel with LCEVC during the football World Cup. As part of the TV 3.0 trial, we are showcasing LCEVC-enhanced VVC live for the first time on an end-to-end system,” added V-Nova CEO Guido Meardi. “This would not have been possible without Globo and the dedication of several technology partners providing encoding, transmission, and decoding solutions to give as a view of the future of broadcast and streaming television, of which LCEVC will be a key enabler.”
