4K broadcast successfully demonstrated in South Korea

Korean broadcasters, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) form part of a broadcast technology consortium which has successfully tested and demonstrated the world’s first end-to-end 4K broadcast using the next-generation ATSC 3.0 standard. The group also comprises of LG Electronics and Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) of Korea.

“The success of this trial highlights the potential for Korea’s launch of terrestrial UHD TV commercial services using ATSC 3.0 in February 2017. And the fact that Korean companies are playing such an important role in ATSC 3.0 provides a good opportunity for Korean equipment manufacturers to advance in the US market,” said Young-Soo Park, Technical Director of SBS.

The test broadcast featured a live camera feed with real-time IP transmissions from the SBS network studio in Mokdong to the broadcaster’s Gwanak Mountain transmitter. The IP signals transmitted over the air on Channel 53 were then received using a simple antenna and decoded by a 4K Ultra HDTV ATSC 3.0 receiver developed by LG Electronics.

K.Y. Kwak, Executive Vice President, Advanced Standard Research & Development Lab, LG said: “SBS and MBC plan to work with LG and ETRI to take full advantage of new capabilities of ATSC 3.0, such as the combination of broadcast and broadband signals.”