Sky outbid for EPL rights (Premier League Pass discussion)

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/print.html?path=BU1403/S00115/samsung-electronics-nz-partners-with-coliseum-sports-media.htm

“For new subscribers, the Android Premier League Pass application will only be available on Samsung devices.”

It seems that 'PremierLeaguePass' ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neulion.android.plp ) was updated to 2.0226 on Friday 28th February 2014 (from 1.1202) and this version introduced the Samsung-only device restrictions. And yes, restricting the audience of the app to Samsung users alone is completely lame, as several people have already said.

“Samsung SportsFlow aggregates sports content to provide an extensive coverage and up-to-date information for sports fans. Highly customisable, it is available for all Galaxy family devices and can be downloaded from Samsung apps and Google Play."

'SportsFlow. All Sports News' ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samsung.sportsflow ) was updated to 1.2 on Sunday 9th February 2014 (from 1.1.9).

“CSM has built a dedicated application for Samsung devices in association with the Samsung SportsFlow app. Tiger Premier League Pass Presented by Samsung SportsFlow will deliver HD access to all live games and highlights, with content available to all 2012 through to 2016 Samsung Smart TV customers.”

“The deal makes Samsung the exclusive Smart TV partner for Tiger PremierLeaguePass.com until 2016.”

“Bringing our content under the Samsung banner allows us to develop a better platform to deliver sports media, and to more rapidly introduce higher quality HD steams and other technological improvements we’re making to Tiger PremierLeaguePass.com. This exciting deal with Samsung Smart TVs is all about delivering just that – more sport to more sport fans, when they want it and how they want it, and all from a single source!”

When viewing on a PC web browser, PremierLeaguePass / Premier League Pass currently uses NeuLion ( http://www.neulion.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209084460 ) via Akamai's CDN (Content Delivery Network) to stream at 720p30 at 4.5Mbps / 4500kbps, through Adobe Flash, presumably in the H.264 codec ( http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=151&topicid=120925&page_no=54#870992 ).

NeuLion are providing 720p60 at 6Mbps for NFL on Xbox One. Presumably this is H.264 as this console (and the PlayStation 4) currently lacks support for H.265 / HEVC decoding in hardware, although it could presumably be done in software assisted by the CPU if the codec was supported.

1. Premier League Pass (720p30 at 4.5Mbps H.264 - NeuLion):

pixels per second = 1280 x 720 x 30 = 27648000

bits per pixel = 4500000 / 27648000 = 0.163

2. NFL Network on Xbox One (720p60 at 6Mbps H.264 - NeuLion):

pixels per second = 1280 x 720 x 60 = 55296000

bits per pixel = 6000000 / 55296000 = 0.109

"Wagner said the company provides seven profiles that range from 6 Mbps, at 1280 x 720, at 60 fps at the high end... "

http://www.cedmagazine.com/news/2014/01/nfl-network-to-stream-live-on-xbox-one

http://www.marketwired.com/printer_friendly?id=1870146

Unfortunately, though:

"... the NFL Network app requires a current subscription with a cable service that carries the channel... "

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/microsoft-announces-xbox-one-will-provide-nfl-games-60fps/

so hopefully the NFL Game Pass app - which includes NFL Network programming ( http://www.eyeondemand.com/2013/10/25/nfl-game-pass-review/ ) will be released for Xbox One (and other Windows platforms: see below).

I think, after NAB 2014 in early April, The Cable Show 2014 in late April, Anga Cable in late May and E3 2014 in June, which finishes on the first day of the World Cup, it might be worth contacting Tim Martin, CEO at Coliseum Sports Media ( plpsupport AT neulion DOT com / support AT coliseumsportsmedia DOT com / hello AT coliseumsportsmedia DOT com ) and Jon Barrell, Sales Director Consumer Electronics, Samsung New Zealand ( enterprise DOT nz AT samsung DOT com / http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jon-barrell/1/bb5/743 ) to see whether the SportsFlow app that will be available on Samsung's Smart TVs will be more advanced than not just its namesake of Samsung Galaxy Android handsets but also the NFL Network on the Xbox One.

The deal will cover the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Samsung Smart TV ranges. What’s good about Samsung TVs is that they’re upgradeable: for instance, the One Connect / OneConnect UHD Evolution Kit for 2014 will add additional features to 2013's UHD models:

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1389286758

http://samsungevolutionkit.com/samsung-introduce-oneconnect-uhd-evolution-kit/

http://www.gadgetguy.com.au/evolution-kit-spotted-in-action-at-the-samsung-2014-forum/

and the 2014 ranges will continue this trend:

“Samsung said its Ultra HD TVs..., ...as in prior years,... will accept Samsung UHD Evolution Kit/one-connect boxes that will enable swapping out older-standard hardware and software for newer standards and features as they emerge over time.”

http://www.twice.com/articletype/news/samsung-sends-expanded-uhd-tv-lineup/110344

However, the 2014 Ultra HD ranges alone have some powerful hardware as it is:

Samsung UE65HU8500 (The U8500 is the model number for the curved UHD range in the UK, and is known as the U9000 range outside the UK. It has an optical digital output, which is very useful. The U7500 is the model number for the flat UHD range in the UK and, confusingly, is known as the U8550 range outside the UK):

http://www.trustedreviews.com/samsung-ue65hu8500_TV_review

http://www.avforums.com/review/samsung-hu8500-ue65hu8500-curved-ultra-hd-4k-led-tv-review.10154

The AV Forums reviewer had a pleasing response to one question:

"In your opinion would you say that normal TV and HD TV(1080i) picture quality is roughly on a par with a top performing non4K TV?"

"Yes I would, if not better because whilst the TV can't add what isn't there, the increased number of pixels gives the upscaling more to play with, resulting in a greater perception of detail."

And there will be lots of content:

"For 4K streaming, Samsung is teaming up with Amazon, Comcast Xfinity TV, DirecTV, M-GO and Netflix to offer apps from these services that will enable users to access the 4K content via Samsung's Smart Hub platform when they become available. The TV will be able to process the higher-quality video streams since they're equipped with built-in HEVC (H.265) decoders. HEVC is a new, more efficient video format that allows for higher-quality video to be sent at normal broadband speeds (as low as 15 megabits per second)...

The UHD Video Pack will initially come pre-loaded with 4K content from Fox and Paramount, but Samsung said it hopes that other studios will join as well. We're not yet sure how much the hard drive will cost, but it appears that new movies can be added--presumably for a fee--via downloads from the Smart Hub Multimedia panel.

Samsung estimated there would be about 50 UHD titles available in 2014."

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/01/samsung-teams-up-with-amazon-netflix-and-others-for-streaming-4k-content/index.htm

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/samsung-delivers-a-complete-home-entertainment-ecosystem-with-its-2014-product-lineup-2014-03-20

"Samsung will start offering its European customers a UHD Starter Kit with 50 movies in 4K resolution this March. The 1TB hard drive will sell for 299 Euro, according to Samsung...

The starter kit will offer access to 50 movies in 4K resolution, including Life of Pi and Star Trek Into Darkness.

The 1 terabyte hard drive comes preloaded with movies, but more titles will be available for download later this year through Samsung's internet service.

Samsung also says that they will update the Netflix app in its 2013 and 2014 Smart TVs to support 4K streaming from Netflix. They expect the update to roll out this March. Netflix will start streaming in 4K in the "first half of 2014" with HEVC encoding and a 15.6 Mb/s bitrate.

The UHD Starter Pack will be available in March 2014 together with Samsung's 2014 TVs."

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1391601422

"... the company’s UHD Video Pack... a proprietary (it only works with Samsung sets) 1-TB hard drive containing 8 titles, including 4 movies and 4 documentaries."

http://hdguru.com/4k-content-a-status-report/

"The UHD Video Pack is essentially a 1TB hard drive that comes pre-loaded with five movies and three documentaries, all in razor-sharp 4K.

That’s great news for the early adopter brigade, but there is a problem - the five selected movies are varying degrees of pretty rubbish. Think of all the films you’d love to watch or rewatch in 4K: is Night at the Museum one of them? Didn’t think so. Wolverine? No? How about World War Z, The Counselor or G.I. Joe?

The good news is that once you’ve got the UHD Video Pack at home you can download more movies and documentaries from a dedicated portal, and they’re included in the price of the device itself, which while unconfirmed is rumoured to be around £300."

http://www.stuff.tv/samsung/samsung-uhd-video-pack-4k-hard-drive-makes-even-rubbish-films-look-pretty/news

"We can confirm that the films are mastered for the 1980s HDTV Rec.709 colorimetry, however, which is yet another knock against the new, and as of yet, unproven Rec.2020 wide color gamut."

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/samsung-uhd-201403253691.htm

There’s also the possibility of Samsung glasses-free 3D TVs incorporating Stream TV’s ‘Ultra-D’ technology

"16:49 19 Feb 2014 by Jeff Parsons...

The company is discussing the technology with several manufacturers and already has a deal in place with Toshiba. During a demo held with T3.com, a spokesperson confirmed meetings with LG and Samsung...

Ultra-D is currently available only on 50 and 55-inch 4K displays, with the company saying that 65-inch and 42-inch models would also be supported in the future. Not only that, but Stream TV anticipates this technology working its way into smartphones and tablets in the next couple of years."

http://www.t3.com/news/stream-tv-expects-ultra-d-glasses-free-3d-tvs-to-hit-later-this-year

Given that "the Samsung Smart TV app is scheduled for release before the end of the current EPL season", I hope that a starting point for the 2014 UHD models will be a minimum of 1080p60 at 14Mbps H.265 / HEVC. As I will explain later, Elemental Technologies have already shown this bitrate and codec to be possible at 2160p60, let alone 1080p60 which is a quarter of the resolution.

It is the greater bandwidth required by the H.264 / AVC codec that has limited the resolution to 720p and the sound to stereo, but it seems as though Tim Martin would like to rectify that:

"The trade off with it not being HD is you get every game. Some people are disappointed about the fact it is not Dolby 5.1 sound, but eventually the technology will allow us to get there."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/8985322/New-online-Premier-League-service-slated

However, H.265 / HEVC might currently only be possible on Smart TVs and not web browsers as it seems that none of the browser-based video players currently have support for H.265 / HEVC:

http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/Choosing-a-Video-Player-Features-and-Specs-for-the-Top-Five-94188.aspx

Incidentally, the Samsung 2015 range should also support VP9:

"... Google will have on display YouTube streaming 4K resolution video with select technology product partners, including TV makers such as Sony and LG partners. Google will use a new VP9 codec it developed to stream video at lower bandwidths, including current 1080p HD videos and also new 4K videos...

YouTube has stated there are working with 19 hardware manufacturers to include VP9 support in their new products, including: ARM, Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, LG, M-Star, Marvell, MediaTek, Mozilla, Nvidia, Panasonic, Philips, Qualcomm, Realtek Semiconductor, Samsung, Sigma, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba."

http://news.yahoo.com/youtube-demonstrate-4k-streaming-ces-195804749.html

"As Francisco Varela, Google's global director for platform partnerships told me, we should see native support for VP9 in TVs and Blu-ray players in many of the 2015 models of these manufacturers, and computers and mobile devices will also start supporting it over the course of 2014. For most laptops and high-end mobile devices, hardware support is optional, as they can use a software decoder. For the best results, though - and the longest battery life - hardware support is necessary."

http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/02/googles-vp9-video-codec-gets-backing-from-arm-nvidia-sony-and-others-gives-4k-video-streaming-a-fighting-chance/

Also, given that an exclusive deal with Samsung has been signed, it’s a shame that we won’t see the app available for other brands of Smart TV (for instance, the 2014 LG range that uses webOS) or other brands of Android device. It’ll be interesting to see what is announced for the future of Google TV at I/O 2014. The next generation of ‘Android TV’ - and recent versions of Google TV are already being branded as such - is rumoured to look like this: http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/5/5584604/this-is-android-tv . The Amazon Fire TV only features HDMI 1.4b and uses a Snapdragon 8064 / S4 Pro, which doesn’t have hardware decoding of H.265 / HEVC decoding, but the Snapdragon 8074 / 800 and an HDMI 2.0 port would fit the bill (and hopefully add VP9 decoding given that it is a Google/YouTube format). The Snapdragon 8084 / 805 would be even better but might be too dear. However, only if the STB were manufactured by Samsung, whether that be a continuation of the Google TV program or a single, Google-branded ‘Nexus TV’, would there be any chance of the Premier League Pass app, as per the aforementioned exclusivity deal. Google already have the Google Fiber TV Box (which I will touch on later) and Chromecast and, whilst they all currently serve slightly different purposes, I would be good to see tighter integration over the next couple of years and possibly a combination into a single unit. Indeed, last July Google said that Chromcast functionality would be integrated into STBs and TVs (although TVs that use the DIAL protocol already have limited support: http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1krkaz/found_out_today_that_many_tvs_have_chromecast/ ), but it is only now that the first-generation of hardware is being launched internationally (the UK, and with impressive BBC iPlayer integration) even though the second-generation will presumably be launched this July (to co-exist alonside the next-gen Android TV) which will also hopefully take the form of a HDMI 2.0 connector and feature H.265 / HEVC and VP9 as well.

Thankfully, as soon as the Google Chromecast is launched officially in New Zealand then an app should be appearing for that as PremierLeaguePass acknowledge that "it does do a good job of screen mirroring":

https://twitter.com/p_l_pass/status/439578194237079553

If the 2014 Apple TV also supports H.265 / HEVC and HDMI 2.0 then it’ll also be good to see an app on there as well, particularly given that Tim Martin was keen:

"Will there be an Apple TV app?”

“Yes, definitely. Not at the start of the season, but one will possibly be added during the season."

http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/end-tv-we-know-it-CK

However, the reality is that it’s “unfeasible at this stage”:

https://twitter.com/p_l_pass/status/440595528154222592

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the app couldn’t be designed for other types of device, such as this reference STB based on the Broadcom BCM7252 for DVB-T2 ( http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=s821019 ):

"ZTE... has launched its 4K p60 Ultra HD set top box (STB), the ZXV10 B803,... based on the Broadcom BCM 7252 chip...

The ZTE ZXV10 B803 also supports the H.265 format...

The ZTE ZXV10 B803 also has a powerful CPU with a processing capability of 10k DMIPS (Dhrystone million instructions per second)... "

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140225005872/en/ZTE-launches-4K-p60-Ultra-HD-STB

I’m sure that Verizon will release H.265 / HEVC-compatible boxes in the next couple of years and implement the OnCue streaming service that they purchased from Intel, hopefully with cloud DVR storage for catch-up:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmoorhead/2014/01/21/verizon-buys-intel-media-and-oncue-creating-a-large-opportunity/print/ http://www.verizon.com/investor/DocServlet?doc=ms_conf_vz_transcript_2014.pdf

Verizon’s competitors in the US currently offer IPTV (pure-play IP streaming with no TV tuner) or cloud DVR but not both. In the former category there is Google Fiber TV (powered by SageTV using the Humax TV Box GFHD100 featuring an unknown chipset and local DVR storage with a 2TB hard drive in a separate Storage Box GFMS100), AT&T U-verse (powered by Ericsson Mediaroom using the Pace IPH 8010 featuring an unknown chipset and local DVR storage with a 1TB hard drive in GigaPower markets), CenturyLink Prism TV (also powered by Ericsson Mediaroom, with a dedicated 25Mbps connection for TV, using the Motorola Home / ARRIS VIP-2250 box featuring the Broadcom 7405C chipset and local DVR storage with a 500GB hard drive).

Cablevision and, as of this year, Simple.tv offer cloud DVR functionality (the former call it ‘Network DVR’) but their boxes still use a QAM cable tuner. Comcast offers cloud DVR with the Xi3 box, which is tunerless, but this streams from a local wi-fi network from a main STB in the house containing a QAM tuner, rather than IPTV over the internet. The Comcast XFINITY app that will be appearing on the aforementioned Samsung TV will work in the same manner as this box and also the existing iOS and forthcoming Android app.

Whilst there are similar services outside the US, many powered by Alcatel-Lucent technology, the only service inside that I’m aware of combining both IPTV and cloud DVR is Cox flareWatch (using the Fanhattan Fan TV featuring an unknown chipset and no hard drive). This is technically an ‘Over The Top’ solution as the EPG is provided by Fanhattan and not Cox. The EPG itself is intriguing as it does not adopt the traditional ‘spreadsheet look’). However, flareWatch was discontinued after a brief, limited-area trial last summer:

http://www.cedmagazine.com/print/blogs/2013/10/the-politics-of-coxs-flarewatch

http://www.lightreading.com/cable-video/ip-video/cox-eyes-iptv-service-/d/d-id/706425?print=yes

There are a number of Over The Top streaming solutions in different territories that also offer cloud DVR, which are aimed at so called ‘cord cutters’ or ‘cord nevers’ who wish to divorce from or never sign themselves up to the cable or satellite ‘cord’ through a subscription-rented STB with channel bundles offered by a traditional pay-TV operator. Outfits who use the Over The Top model are FilmOn, USTVnow (which offers unlimited simultaneous and scheduled recordings, but deletes them after a month even if they have yet to be watched), NimbleTV and Zattoo (their ‘Recall’ service is technically 7-day catch-up, but it is available for every channel). And, of course, there is Aereo: a service available in select US cities which offers users the chance to stream content broadcast OTA and received by a remote, individual, rented antenna. The downside of all these services, of course, is that they rarely offer a picture quality over 720p30 at 4Mbps (6Mbps is the maximum in Aereo’s case, I believe).

I’m surprised that Google Fiber TV uses local storage as, with their Google Drive service, you would think that they would have an ideal platform to upsell users into having essentially unlimited storage space with tons of virtual tuners (i.e. one per available channel: like USTVnow but with no expiry date).

It looks as though the Broadcom BCM7251 chipset may be the most suitable base for IPTV STBs with H.265 / HEVC Main10 decoding and 2160p60 transmission over HDMI 2.0, but we'll see more at the upcoming trade shows. I’m not sure how it’s different from the BCM7252.

There is also the TV streaming component of the Gaikai-powered PlayStation Now service for the PS4 that will be coming a few months after the game streaming component this summer. I’m sure more details will be released at E3.

The benefits of the PS4 and Xbox One are that they include a Blu-Ray drive for playback (although currently neither offers Blu-Ray 3D), and I actually think the Xbox One with its voice commands through Kinect is a strong interface but the current implementation with HDMI pass-through from an existing tuner is clearly less flexible than IPTV, even if the OneGuide downloads EPG information. Also, the PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live backends are ideal for cloud DVR recordings, keeping the faster storage offered by their local hard drives for use by game installs.

In the UK, there are platforms offering a mix of FTA and premium channels called YouView (for DVB-T2) and Freesat Freetime (for DVB-S2). As well as offering traditional 7-day scroll-forward with DVR set-record functionality, their EPGs also offer a 7-day scroll-back / roll-back with integrated catch-up, although not on all channels ( http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/tv-recorders-and-receivers/freesat-hd-with-free-time-review-50009088/#electronic-programme-guide ). In this respect they are similar to Zattoo on iOS ( http://www.eyeondemand.com/2013/03/08/zattoo-review-for-live-uk-television/ ) and the new preview UI of BBC iPlayer on the desktop website. In the same way that these services can be navigated with their companion mobile apps, it’s great that this functionality, minus DVR record, is coming to SmartGlass ( http://news.xbox.com/2014/04/ent-xbox-one-tv-tools-and-smartglass ). The main limitation with these EPG services are that, whilst scroll-back programmes have a small ‘play’ symbol, the scroll-forward programmes that the channel operator knows in advance will not be available for future catch-up (due to rights restrictions) are not indicated with a small ‘cross-out play’ symbol. These are, of course, the exact programmes that a viewer would want to explicitly set to record. Another limitation is that the integration and use of metadata, whilst good, could be stronger. It would be nice if each channel could display its resolution and bitrate in small text to inform the technically-minded users. This could be used to direct users to a higher-quality version of the same programme available elsewhere on the service. For instance, scrolling-back the listing on an SD channel, the EPG could indicate that the same film was shown that week on an HD channel and is available in even higher quality on an on-demand service, and then offer one click to go to the latter.

Speaking of Freesat Freetime, here's what's just been announced in the UK:

"... Freesat's 'Freetime' catch-up TV service [will be] available in all new Panasonic VIERA smart TVs—whether homes receive their TV via satellite or through an aerial (DTT).”

http://www.dtg.org.uk/news/news.php?class=countries&subclass=0&id=5089

"You can opt to make the Freetime interface your default home screen, so that you arrive there whenever you turn on the TV."

Although the official DTT UK website stated "all new Panasonic VIERA smart TVs", ExpertReviews only think it will be the vast majority:

"Freetime will only be available on selected models, but Panasonic said that it would cover around 90% of its range."

"It's possible that the interface will be rolled out to current models in the future, so last year's TVs may well receive an update to Freetime in due course, though Panasonic wouldn't confirm for certain that this will happen or when."

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs/1306540/ditch-your-set-top-box-panasonic-brings-freetime-to-tvs

However:

"Gilshan also added that Freesat is keen to work with other manufacturers and bring the Freetime experience to more integrated TV sets."

http://recombu.com/digital/news/panasonic-freeview-freesat-freetime-catch-ax802-4k-smart-tv_M12937.html

"The Freetime service enables consumers to scroll back through their TV guide for the past seven days and includes access to all of the UK public service broadcasting on-demand services—BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5. In addition, consumers will receive daily programme recommendations."

http://www.dtg.org.uk/news/news.php?class=countries&subclass=0&id=5089

"... through Showcase."

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/127869-panasonic-viera-smart-tvs-to-come-with-freesat-freetime-catch-up-services-at-a-click

"You get up to seven days of catch-up TV across 26 channels..."

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs/1306540/ditch-your-set-top-box-panasonic-brings-freetime-to-tvs

"The full on-demand line-up for Freetime on the Panasonic AX802 currently is BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD, Demand 5, BBC News and BBC Sport."

"... the Panasonic AX802 will be able to access the new-look version of BBC iPlayer for smart TVs from launch.

Currently a YouTube app, a feature of Freesat Freetime set-top boxes like Humax HDR-1000S, isn’t present on the AX802’s Freetime catch-up menu. You will be able to access a YouTube app elsewhere on the menu, but Cunningham told Recombu that work to bring a YouTube app to Freetime on the Panasonic AX802 is in progress."

http://recombu.com/digital/news/panasonic-freeview-freesat-freetime-catch-ax802-4k-smart-tv_M12937.html

PVR functionality to an external hard drive will be supported in a few months' time:

"At launch you won't be able to record TV from the Freetime interface to a hard disk connected to the TV via USB, though Panasonic told us this was something they were looking to implement later. It also doesn't work at present with the Freesat app, though that's understandable given the lack of recording at present."

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs/1306540/ditch-your-set-top-box-panasonic-brings-freetime-to-tvs

The high-end UK model numbers, screen sizes and release dates have been announced:

"The TV on show was the TX-50AX802B, a 4K model with an impressive-looking design and specifications."

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs/1306540/ditch-your-set-top-box-panasonic-brings-freetime-to-tvs

(TC-65AX800U / AX800 series in the US. I also note this: "I also asked if Panasonic was working on lowering input lag on its TVs to appeal to gamers, and I was surprised to hear that the company is working with Nvidia to help make DisplayPort—which is included as an input on Panasonic’s UHD models—into the lowest-latency input possible." http://www.avsforum.com/t/1521153/luxury-technology-show-offers-glimpse-of-high-end-gear . Perhaps this will manifest itself on the AX900 / AX902 range this Autumn: http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/ax900-201403243688.htm ).

"The Panasonic AX802 will be available 50, 58 and 60-inch versions when they launch in early April. Prices aren’t yet available, but we’re told that they will be ‘competitive’."

http://recombu.com/digital/news/panasonic-freeview-freesat-freetime-catch-ax802-4k-smart-tv_M12937.html

However, Pocket-Lint seem to have obtained a price:

"For £2000 for the 50-inch model... "

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/127879-hands-on-panasonic-ax802-freetime-tv

"... an edge-lit LED... HDMI 2.0 means that the TV can accept both 4k at 30 and 60 frames per second... Also included is support for h.265, or HEVC... "

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/127879-hands-on-panasonic-ax802-freetime-tv

and there are other truly 'smart' features:

"Other new features of the AX802 include improved profile features and facial recognition which we saw on Panasonic’s previous 4K set, the 65-inch TX-L65WT600B.

For starters, the pop up camera mechanism is more discreet, a tiny matchstick head in comparison to some models.

Secondly, the software in the AX802 adapts to recognise the faces of everyone at home and will begin loading up recommendations tailored specifically to them. The new smart remote features a star key which allows you to favourite content.

There’s no way to downrank content like you can with Virgin Media TiVo, but at least you’ll be able to actively tell Panasonic what kinds of content you’re interested in. The smart remote is very similar in design to that of the TX-L65WT600B and the main remote, complete with a brushed aluminium finish, has a weighty, premium feel.

Finally, proximity sensors will detect when someone is in the room and will cause the camera to pop up and start pap passing people. This is all design to happen automatically, making logging in and accessing favourites less of a hassle."

http://recombu.com/digital/news/panasonic-freeview-freesat-freetime-catch-ax802-4k-smart-tv_M12937.html

"Even in standby... "

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/127879-hands-on-panasonic-ax802-freetime-tv

More photos:

http://www.whathifi.com/news/panasonic-adds-freesat-freetime-smart-tv-to-viera-range

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/tx50ax802b-201403243683.htm

http://www.avforums.com/news/new-4k-panasonic-ax802-led-tv-uses-plasma-engineers-know-how.10163

http://www.avforums.com/news/panasonic-details-uk-full-hd-tv-range.10164

http://www.avforums.com/news/panasonic-announce-2014-entry-level-led-tv-range.10176

http://www.avforums.com/news/panasonic-2014-tvs-to-get-freetime-service.10118

A senior BBC source said in October 2013 that iPlayer would support 4K programming delivered in HEVC in 2014:

"The BBC recently revealed its new look iPlayer which will support Ultra HD streaming. Ultra HD can refer to 4K UHD (2160p) and 8K UHD (4320p) but the former will be rolled out first, as 4K TVs start to appear on the market...

Quested also confirmed that the HEVC codec will be used to distribute Ultra HD using the ITU-R BT.2020 and several (almost ready to publish) SMPTE standards."

http://www.3dfocus.co.uk/3d-news-2/ultra-hd/bbc-not-shooting-ultra-hd-using-license-fee-money/13871

The improvement with 4K is noticeable on a 55" TV even when viewing from nine feet away:

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/4k-resolution-201312153517.htm

Even if the H.265 / HEVC support that I mentioned above does not end up materialising on the PS4 and Xbox One (which I will describe further below) then at least a PremierLeaguePass app with H.264 support on these two platforms should be developed. The newly-announced universal Windows apps, with eventual support for Xbox One including Kinect and the controller ( http://www.slashgear.com/xbox-one-to-launch-windows-universal-apps-eventually-02323448/ ) will mean that the NZD $50,000 - NZD $80,000 ( http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/hands-premierleaguepasscom-not-yet-perfect-pitch ) development cost will work out to be the equivalent of NZD $17,000 - NZD $27,000 for each of the three Microsoft platforms (Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One).

In this interview with Radio New Zealand, NeuLion EVP/Co-Founder Chris Wagner discusses the work with Coliseum Sports Media, the flexibility of the streaming technology and, specifically, the existing relationship with Sony and Microsoft:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/audio/2560277/streaming-sports

beIN SPORTS’s streaming solution, on the other hand, is provided by PERFORM Media ( http://www.performgroup.co.uk/BroadcastersCaseStudies ), delivered using Adobe Flash. I can find out whether any of their properties offer a bitrate above 2.4Mbps, but I do know that 4Mbps was mooted at one point.

However, it seems that Chris Wagner wants NeuLion to take things further than 1080p:

"Anyone interested in 4k Streaming service - HD at 6mbps over the internet to connected devices ?"

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Anyone-interested-in-4k-Streaming-2301658.S.5824917156508241921

There has already been progress made here by Elemental Technologies:

“In the demonstration in London, an Elemental used footage from a sports event shot last month in the U.S. as input to the encoder. To capture the content in 4K, a RED EPIC UltraHD camera and a Canon 300mm lens were used during a U.S. Major League Soccer Western Conference semi-final match between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers last month in Portland, Oregon (US).”

http://www.display-central.com/free-news/display-daily/three-new-demos-of-4k60p-transmission/

"The latest milestone was achieved using an Elemental Live video processing system (which can handle 4Kp50 or 60). The 4Kp60 AVC/H.264 video was streamed via a Gigabit Ethernet link in an MPEG-2 transport stream at 80Mbps, which Elemental Live encoded in HEVC at 14Mbps constant bit rate (a similar bitrate to that used by some cable companies for delivering HD today)"

http://www.tvbeurope.com/main-content/full/first-realtime-4kp60-hevc-encoding/

“... and deliver [the] 4Kp60 HEVC output to a PC-based decoder with final rendering on an 84-inch Planar 4K television.”

http://www.display-central.com/free-news/display-daily/three-new-demos-of-4k60p-transmission/

NeuLion already have a relationship with Elemental:

http://www.neulion.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205907963

'“We'll start to see some more public demonstrations of 4K HEVC delivered to set-top boxes with a real-time decoder, fully compliant with standards, at NAB,” Wymbs says.'

http://www.streamingmediaglobal.com/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/Elemental-Demonstrates-4K-HEVC-Video-at-60-fps-in-London-93707.aspx

This could well be using a variant of the ZTE box I described above.

"... as far as bitrates required go, UHD is going to need a lot fewer bits per pixel than 1080p. First, detail isn't fractally dense, and 4x the pixels doesn't make anywhere near 4x the detail or 4x the high frequencies."

"UHD might need maybe twice the bitrate of 1080p in H.264 to provide the available quality improvement in real-world viewing environments.

Given HEVC's better compression efficiency, particularly at higher frame sizes, a mature HEVC encoder might well be able to deliver UHD content at today's H.264 1080p bitrates."

Ben Waggoner

Principal Video Specialist, Amazon Instant Video

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1632870

"Depending on the complexity of the scene, the bandwidth output of the Elemental Live system varies between 14 - 25 Mbps, which represents 99.8% or better encoding efficiency of the original uncompressed content. Elemental Live remains completely compatible with existing delivery capacity of most cable, satellite and IP distribution networks worldwide."

720p60

1280x720

Mpix/Frame: 1

MPEG-2 8-bit color, Bitrates (Mbps): 9.5 - 14

Uncompressed Bitrate: 1.125 Gbps

1080i60

1920x1080

Mpix/Frame: 1

MPEG-2 8-bit color, Bitrates (Mbps): 10 - 15

Uncompressed Bitrate: 1.5 Gbps

1080i60

1920x1080

Mpix/Frame: 1

MPEG-4 (AVC) 8-bit color, Bitrates (Mbps): 6 - 9

Uncompressed Bitrate: 1.5 Gbps

4Kp30

3840x2160

Mpix/Frame: 8.3

MPEG-4 (AVC) 8-bit color, Bitrates (Mbps): 18 - 25

Uncompressed Bitrate: 6 Gbps

4Kp30

3840x2160

Mpix/Frame: 8.3

Elemental HEVC 10-bit color, Bitrates(Mbps): 10 - 18

Uncompressed Bitrate: 6 Gbps

4Kp60

3840x2160

Mpix/Frame: 8.3

Elemental HEVC 10-bit color, Bitrates(Mbps): < 25

Uncompressed Bitrate: 12 Gbps

Table 2 - Real-time Broadcast 16:9 Formats and Bandwidth

http://www.avit-systems.no/media/344944/2013_12_10_elemental_white_paper_4k__3_.pdf

Looking ahead to the 2016 Samsung Smart TVs, hopefully Premier League Productions will by then be filming at 2160p60 so we can stream it at no more than 25Mbps HEVC in 10-bit colour.

However, in terms of other devices, even if CPU-assisted HEVC decoding can be turned on through a firmware update then the HDMI 1.4 ports on the current versions of the PS3 and Xbox One consoles still only support 2160p30 and not 2160p60 output.

The 8.91Gbps bandwidth of HDMI 1.4b is suitable for up to 1080p60 at 4:4:4 colour sampling with a 16-bit colour depth. However 60fps at even the lowest practical levels of colour sampling and depth requires HDMI 2.0:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1523994/hdmi-2-0-cedia-webinar

The 2014 Vizio R (Reference) Series, which will be available in 65” and 120”, supports 10-bit colour so it is possible that the 2015 and 2016 Samsung ranges may follow suit:

"I spoke extensively with John Hwang, Senior Product Manager of Vizio's TV division. He revealed that while the Reference Series does not cover the entire Rec. 2020 color space, it does hit about 80%--which, if true, is a great start. The Reference Series should also be capable of 800 nits of light output, enough to meet minimum specifications for HDR.

Content--like a Blu-ray disc--mastered in Dolby Vision will utilize a 3D LUT (look-up-table) style color reference to communicate the legal limits of color to a display. In short, the content dictates to the TV which content to use via EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) over HDMI.

This means that the Reference Series' 10-bit color depth does not force false saturation, but uses a flexible color gamut that is mapped to content, no more and no less. The series' chip system and LED driver ICs are 10-bit compatible as well--this kind of hardware-based 10-bit color depth is a first for televisions, according to Hwang.

Each Reference Series panel will allegedly be factory calibrated to D65, though I heard no mention of ISF or THX specification. Hwang relayed that the Reference Series' software should give home hobbyists access to 10-point white balance, a CMS (Color Management System), and Gamma control--the TVs default to a 2.2 correction curve in order to operate more smoothly with most content sources.

In order to comply with the full dynamic range required by Dolby Vision, the Reference Series uses 384 LED zones--in fact, all of Vizio's 2014 TVs make use of full-array backlighting and local dimming.

Like Samsung's high-end TVs, the Reference Series wields a six-core (quad/dual) processor. Hwang explained that the most innovative function of this processor was that the TVs would be able to accept an incoming 120fps signal, twice the frame-rate of most consumer televisions. The largest application of this technology is in PC gaming, where higher frame rates are key to the best experience.

The processor also enables what Vizio calls a "spatial scaling algorithm"--Vizio's system for upscaling sub-UHD content (so it doesn't look awful in a 4K resolution space). Where many UHD upscaling engines interpolate pixels from a 1080p source in one vertical and one horizontal direction from the source pixel, Vizio's apparently does multi-directional guesswork to create a more ideal 4K image."

http://televisions.reviewed.com/features/whats-so-great-about-vizios-reference-series

More information on Dolby Vision:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osFaBab8zJs

"The current implementation includes... a Main 10 profile with 10-bit support...

HEVC will continue to advance, with work already starting on extensions for 12-bit video and 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 chroma formats... "

http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Editorial/What-Is-.../What-Is-HEVC-(H.265)-87765.aspx

Premier League Productions are already filming in 4:2:2 colour sampling:

“Ericsson plays Premier League in 4:2:2 formation

NOVEMBER 1, 2013 10.26 EUROPE/LONDON BY JULIAN CLOVER

IMG Premier League Productions, which distributes Premier League coverage throughout the world, is upgrading its existing system based on the Ericsson Content Distribution Solution.

An essential part of the upgrade is the the ability to distribute the content in its origination color format (4:2:2 chroma) to ensure the highest quality source for all subsequent live production and delivery stages, enabling operators and broadcasters to provide to consumers Premier League matches at the highest quality...

The Ericsson solution includes the AVP 4000 System Encoder and the RX8200 Advanced Modular Receiver, offering delivery of video in all formats (from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 AVC, from SD to HD) and total connectivity for all transmission mediums (including IP and satellite). Control and management is provided by nCompass Director, a critical component in managing a large distributed population of receivers, control content rights and robust conditional access (CA)... "

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2013/11/01/ericsson-plays-premier-league-in-422-formation/

http://www.ericsson.com/news/131101-ericsson-upgrades-quality-of-premier-league-football-distribution-for-img_244129226_c

I think that the EPL’s foreign rights holders, including Coliseum, should collectively put pressure on Premier League Productions to film and distribute to them in the highest quality possible. Currently, the domestic rights holders, BT Sport and, in particular, BSkyB, are leading the way in this respect, having dabbled in live 4K Sky Sports broadcasting with the Sony PMW-F55:

"The production was shot using four Sony F55 cameras with fibre back ends through the Sony MVS-8000 vision switcher with EVS replay servers and Vizrt graphics. Two Sony SR1000 HDCAM decks were used to record the output so that the on board material could be compared to the satellite transmission."

http://svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/sky-sports-collaborates-with-sis-ericsson-and-telegenic-on-ultra-hd-satellite-backhaul-test/print/

"A 2160 x 3840 resolution was used, with images sent at 50 frames per second."

http://www.tvtechnology.com/prntarticle.aspx?articleid=221273

"The UHD Quad Full HD programme output was delivered to four Ericsson HD encoders which were locked together to synchronise the quad HD signals within the 103Mbs video bandwidth (25.75 Mbps H.264 per quadrant). The transmitted signals were then synchronously decoded and passed through the existing 3Gbps infrastructure at the Sky Sports Broadcast centre. It was then reassembled to create a seamless 4K image on an 84” UHD display and recorded locally in one of the Sky Sports studios."

http://svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/sky-sports-collaborates-with-sis-ericsson-and-telegenic-on-ultra-hd-satellite-backhaul-test/print/

"Telegenic... provided the OB unit; SIS... provided the satellite transmission facilities; and Ericsson... provided the encoders."

http://svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/sky-sports-collaborates-with-sis-ericsson-and-telegenic-on-ultra-hd-satellite-backhaul-test/print/

"Content was sent via a Eutelsat transponder... "

http://www.tvtechnology.com/prntarticle.aspx?articleid=221273

A similar set-up was also used at the FIFA Confederations Cup last year and may be used at the World Cup this year:

"Signals will be routed around the truck in Quad Full HD, or four streams of HD-SDI at 60p."

"On board the truck will be six PMW-F55 cameras streaming raw 4K into BPU-4000 Base Band Processor Units, which in turn output four HD-SDI streams and a separate down-converted HD output.

A transmission camera adaptor attached to the F55 (a CA-4000) provides familiar CCU operation and talkback to the operator.

Recording is being made to SR-R1000 storage units that can handle two streams of 4K (totalling 8x HD) or one record and one replay.

Equipped with multi-codec support, the F55 includes Sony’s new XAVC MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format, the SR codec (MPEG4 SStP) and the industry-standard high definition codec 4:2:2 XDCAM at 50 Mbps. The internal recording uses the SxS Pro+, Sony’s new SxS support, which can be used to record XAVC HD content with a high frame rate and 4K at up to 60fps.

In terms of full replay, Sony is working with EVS to test the 4K capability of multiple EVS slo-motion systems ganged together, and also production workflows controlled by EVS IP Director for ingest, metadata management, on the fly editing and playout.

One of the key things under test are the lenses. These include a prototype lens convertor that permits standard 2/3-inch box lenses to be used with the F55's Super 35mm sensor; and new 4K Fujinon Cabrio lenses, including the Premier PL 14-28mm Cabrio wide angle.

Under examination is whether the F55's Super 35mm 4K single CMOS sensor is appropriate for live sport. These produce a shallow depth of field, not normally an issue with 3x 2/3-inch sensors associated with OB, but a defining characteristic of cameras like the F55 CineAlta that were designed for high end drama and commercials."

http://www.tvbeurope.com/main-content/full/sony-details-4k-tests-in-brazil/

For the Champions League Final 2012, Sky Deutschland was the host broadcaster and some of their cameras were the Sony PMW-TD300 Full HD 3D:

http://www.live-production.tv/case-studies/sports/uefa-champions-league-final-2012-world-feed-hd-and-3d.html?style=print

http://www.live-production.tv/system/files/UEFA_Champions_League_Final_2012.pdf

BSkyB have also used the same camera, and there was one crucial benefit:

"Production teams benefitted from the TD300’s ability to record two content streams simultaneously, enabling them to shoot once and output in both 2D and 3D."

http://www.sony.co.uk/pro/article/broadcast-products-sky-gets-close-to-the-action

BSkyB already broadcast one Sky Sports match each weekend in 3D, although I’m not sure what camera they use. It looks excellent in polarised glasses and it’s not just a gimmick - the viewer gets a far better sense of the scale of the stadium and pitch and the camera angles make it easier to see off-the-ball movement. I can only imagine how good it would be to watch in the glasses-free technology such as Dolby 3D or the Ultra-D I described earlier.

If there is a 4K version of the TD300 announced at NAB 2014 then it would be great to see that used by Premier League Productions.

There would still be a problem, though. Even though the content would only be being shot once, Premier League Productions would still have two output feeds: one 2D and one 3D. A better solution would be for a single 3D feed to be broadcast which would display in 3D on compatible active and passive (stereoscopic) and glasses-free (autostereoscopic) televisions, and 2D on non-compatible televisions.

However, whilst multiview extensions of the regular kind (MVC) are compatible with stereoscopic 3D (this is the approach used in Blu-Ray 3D), multiview with depth (MVD) is necessary for autostereoscopic 3D:

"Sisvel Technology joined forces with Triaxes – a Russian company specialized in software and hardware solutions for autostereoscopic displays – to create the 3DZ Tile Format, a system that enhances the performance of autostereoscopic (glasses free) 3D displays. This is the latest improvement to the high-performance Tile Format which already offers users better definition than existing alternatives; it is also backward compatible with 2D high definition TV sets and offers significant advantages to broadcasters by using a single bandwidth-efficient stream...

In particular, Sisvel Technology’s cooperation with CNTV (one of the most important Web TV service providers in China) has enabled a 3D Web Channel which can be viewed also on a laptop screen, thanks to the plug-in developed by CNTV engineers (displaying in anaglyph, line-alternate and 2D compatible mode).

Sisvel Technology’s booth at CES will be equipped with 3D and 2D full HD television sets to demonstrate how 3D programs can be viewed by both 3D and 2D devices as a practical result of 2D backward compatibility of 3D frame compatible formats. The demo will clarify the broadcasting procedure for transmitting a 3D program in one stream which can be watched stereoscopically on 3D television sets and simultaneously in 2D mode on full HD television sets.

During the exhibition the joint technologies and products developed by Sisvel Technology’s manufacturing partners will also be presented: Android chipset (SoC by Hisilicon) and boards based on FPGA (by Vestek and by 3D Impact Media) which will ease the penetration of the 3D Tile Format technology in the market. Among the various demonstrations, the innovative set-top-box Teleweb Uno (TW-UNO) will be presented, which can convert analog TVs into smart TVs, enabling access to the Internet as well as the ability to recognize and reproduce all 3D frame-compatible formats, including 3D Tile Format."

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140102005868/en/Sisvel-Technology-Showcase-3DZ-Tile-Format-International

And a specific approach with HEVC:

"Autostereoscopic displays... provide a 3D viewing experience without glasses... In contrast to common stereo displays, autostereoscopic displays require not only two, but a multitude of different views for providing the 3D viewing experience. Since the bit rate required for coding multiview video with the MVC extension of H.264/AVC increases approximately linearly with the number of coded views, MVC is not appropriate for delivering 3D content for autostereoscopic displays.

A promising alternative is the transmission of 3D video in the Multiview Video plus Depth (MVD) format. In the MVD format, typically only a few views are actually coded, but each of them is associated with coded depth data, which represent the basic geometry of the captured video scene. Based on the transmitted video pictures and depth maps, additional views suitable for displaying 3D video content on autostereoscopic displays can be generated using depth image based rendering (DIBR) techniques at the receiver side.

The Image and Video Coding Group and the 3D Coding Group developed an extension of HEVC for coding of 3D video data in the MVD format...

The corresponding sub-bitstream can be extracted from the 3D bitstream, decoded with an HEVC decoder, and displayed on a conventional 2D display."

http://www.hhi.fraunhofer.de/fields-of-competence/image-processing/research-groups/image-video-coding/3d-hevc-extension.html

http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/93/56/04/PDF/D4.3.pdf

Thoughts?

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