Page 104 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

ITU Marks 70 Years of Television Standards Work

broadcast programs. ITU’s standards
for video coding in collaboration with
ISO and IEC also received two Primetime
Emmy Awards from the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences, the first in
2008 for ITU H.264 | MPEG-4 Advanced
Video Coding (AVC) and the second in
2017 for High Efficiency Video Coding
(HEVC, published as ITU H.265 | ISO/IEC
23008-2). The Versatile Video Coding
(VVC) project, on course for completion
by mid-2020, will provide a significant
improvement in compression performance
over HEVC. The recently concluded ITU
World Radiocommunication Assembly
(22-25 October 2019) called for a roadmap
World Television Day, marked globally terrestrial, satellite and Internet platforms. on broadcasting concerning audio visual
on 21 November, recognizes the medium These “Global Platforms” may one day quality assessment and accessibility, audio
as a major source of news, information, facilitate delivery of content to end-users and video coding, integrated broadcast-
education and entertainment. As television on a wide range of devices and receiving broadband, multimedia, and other
broadcasting increases its footprint platforms, using both broadcasting and emerging technologies and applications.
globally, streaming onto multiple portable non-broadcasting technologies. ITU and The Assembly also sought to promote
devices, TV has become an integral part United Nations Television (UNTV) recently accessibility for persons with disabilities
of life, accounting for 80 per cent of all interviewed David Wood of the European and specific needs. Subtitles and audio
consumer Internet traffic. ITU, since it first Broadcasting Union (EBU) for insights channels describing action in the image,
released technical standards for television into new trends and directions on the assist the visually impaired while the ability
70 years ago in 1949, has developed future of TV broadcasting. “Television to separate foreground and background
the globally harmonized standards that plays a crucial role in connecting the sound allows audio to be more intelligible
have progressively enhanced television world to information and knowledge while to those with hearing disabilities. ITU
viewing experience in terms of both visual providing an unsurpassed channel for has assisted a number of developing
and audio quality. From early standards mass entertainment,” said ITU Secretary- countries in transitioning from analogue
for colour TV to developing parameters General Houlin Zhao. “World TV Day brings broadcasting to far more efficient digital
for 4:3 and widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio attention to ITU’s exemplary work in broadcasting, enabling people in remotest
television, ITU has championed the switch producing the standards that are driving areas to take advantage of the benefits
to digital TV broadcasting and High future trends in broadcasting and Internet from digital broadcast technology. The ITU
Definition Television (HDTV), enabling services that will bring an increasingly World Radiocommunication Conference
more services, better picture quality and immersive experience to viewers around in Sharm El-Sheikh, currently in session
improved coverage owing to an increase the world.” “More than ever, television from 28 October until 22 November, is
in transmitted bandwidth capacity. today provides information, news and addressing requirements for some of the
Building further on the superior colour entertainment to people wherever they leading edge technological innovations.
fidelity of ITU’s Ultra-High Definition may be,” said Mr Mario Maniewicz, Director These include identifying additional
Television (UHDTV), ITU introduced High of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau. frequency bands for International Mobile
Dynamic Range Television (HDR-TV) “World TV Day focuses on the work of ITU Telecommunications (IMT), further
bringing increased realism to images. As over the last 70 years in developing new enabling the rollout of IMT-2020 networks,
5G services complying with ITU’s IMT- standards and systems for broadcasting, as well as for High-Altitude Platform
2020 spectrum allocations and standards bringing them in line with the latest cutting Stations (HAPS) – aircraft positioned in the
(currently being addressed by the ITU edge technologies designed to make high stratosphere for very-long-duration flights
World Radiocommunication Conference in quality television coverage available in used for telecommunications, new non-
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt) are progressively affordable ways to people in the remotest geostationary satellite systems composed
rolled out over the coming years, the areas of the world.” In 2012, ITU received of multiple, multi-satellite constellations,
convergence of traditional broadcasting the Emmy Award from the US National and earth stations in motion (ESIM)
and Internet services could lead to Academy of Television Arts & Sciences communicating from aircraft, maritime
the further merging of media content, for the “Standardization of Loudness vessels and land vehicles with satellites
data, and applications using broadband Metering for Use in Broadcast Audio” to in the geostationary orbit (GSO) using Ka
networks delivered over a combination of balance the loudness within and between bands.

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