CES 2013: Harmonic powering 4K demos

Harmonic has announced that it will power multiple end-to-end transmission demonstrations of 4K Ultra HD during the 2014 International CES. The company will showcase the picture quality of the new format on Ultra HD TVs and set-top boxes (STBs) with its partners, Broadcom Corporation, Sigma Designs, and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

“Harmonic continues to push the limits of currently available technologies to be a driving force behind 4K Ultra HD technology development and its worldwide acceptance,” said Thierry Fautier, vice president, solutions marketing at Harmonic. “At CES, Harmonic and its technology partners will perform several groundbreaking demonstrations of real-world Ultra HD, showing how HEVC delivery of Ultra HD content can easily be achieved to enhance the quality of video content on a wide range of consumer devices.”

Highlights are set to include:

– The first standards-compliant live 4K Ultra HD 30-Hz broadcast workflow, powered by Harmonic ProMedia Xpress high-performance file-based transcoding software and decoded by Broadcom’s latest BCM7445-based STB, will be shown at Broadcom’s private booth in CES Meeting Place MP25966. Demonstrations by appointment only.

– The first 4K Ultra HD 120-Hz broadcast workflow, also powered by Harmonic ProMedia Xpress transcoding software. The transcoded UHD 24/30/60 fps content will be played back on Sigma Designs’ 120-Hz Ultra HD Platform. Sigma’s Ultra HD TV Chipset uses only two chips, a SX6 UHD TV Application Processor and a FRCX Video Processor, to build a high performance and cost effective 120-Hz Ultra HD TV that will be shown at Sigma Designs’ suite 2990 in the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.

– In addition to these demos, ProMedia Xpress is undergoing interoperability testing with 4K 60-Hz Samsung UHD TVs, which will be shown at booth 12004 in the Central Hall.