JSTV broadcasts Chinese New Year celebrations in simultaneous 4K and HD with Sony
How we helped
The Challenge
- Jiangsu Television (JSTV) required a solution to broadcast 2019 New Year Gala simultaneously in HD and SD, 4K SDR on IPTV and 4K HDR (HLG).
- Venue lighting was not optimised for 4K.
- Broadcaster wished to avoid colour degradation during image compression and upscaling stages.
The Solution
- 4K HDR images captured with six HDC-4300 system cameras.
- HD content upscaled to 4K using HDRC-4000 HDR production converter.
- Sony provided comprehensive technical and professional services, from consultation and system proposal to support.
The Outcome
- Successful technical achievements demonstrates live broadcast on air and IPTV transmission.
- TV viewers without HLG compatible reception equipment able to enjoy live broadcast downscaled to 4K SDR format.
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In addition to broadcasting a complete event, the process was also an ideal system test. Every advancement we make now is a solid step toward tomorrow, and a valuable contribution to the industry.
Creative Team of Jiangsu Television (JSTV)
Greater live production flexibility
The 4K LIVE menu of Sony HDC-4300 system camera brings additional flexibility to 4K SDR live broadcasting and HLG recording. For example there is 6dB of gain inequality between HDR and SDR: this was fine-tuned by visual engineers based on stage lighting at the event and recalibration monitor presentation. This provided a better balance between HDR and SDR pictures.
Complete 4K and HD live production chain
The 2019 New Year Gala was executed with flexible upscaling, coupling one PGM with one optional matrix switcher, i.e. selecting one HD system and upscaling needed HDR contents into 4K through Sony’s HDRC-4000 converter. The 4K production system consists of six Sony HDC-4300 cameras and two HD upscaling switchers.
The system featured three extra zoom telephoto lenses, one standard 4K lens, two wide-angle 4K lenses, working with a Sony PWS-4400 AV storage server. The 33-channel HD system is more capable than a 4K counterpart in production and broadcasting. In addition to more than 20 HDC-2580 cameras, the system also featured rails, ultra-high-speed cameras, telescopic arms, FlyCat ropeways, and virtualisation components for additional effects.
JSTV transmitted the Gala simultaneously in HD + 5.1 surround sound and also SD + stereo. The event was also broadcast on IPTV in 4K + SDR and subsequently released in 4K + HDR (HLG).
HLG becoming a standard part of 4K HDR broadcasting in China
HLG signals were successfully transmitted for the 2019 New Year Gala through a dedicated network connection provided by China Telecom. Since most viewers do not currently have the necessary hardware to process HLG data, the live broadcast was downscaled by converting HLG stream into 4K SDR format. The HLG signal was recorded on a PWS-4400 server and backed up with recorders equipped with a monitor. 4K HDR assets were subsequently recut for a separate HDR release.
Although some viewers did not actually receive HLG signals, workflows for 4K broadcasting were tested and proven, including dual-channel 4K SDR live broadcasting and single-channel HDR. The latter essentially sends signals to the integrated control platform, where they are received and combined with Dolby surrounding sound.
