Academy Feed

What does the future hold for UHD?

2017-10-30T11:15:40+00:00

The awe-inspiring footage of Blue Planet II has once again shown the impact of ultra-high definition (UHD) TV.

The �� is experimenting with the new picture standard that captures content containing four times as many pixels as high definition. Its first experiments in UHD were with the Queen’s Christmas broadcast in 2014 and Planet Earth II in 2016.

But timing is crucial. If the �� invests in UHD too early it will be accused of wasting licence payers’ money. After all, to enjoy all the benefits of UHD you need a 4K TV - and most people don’t have one of those.

On the other hand, if it invests too late, the �� risks losing out to its rivals.

Andrew Cotton, principal technologist, of �� R&D is in no doubt there is a big future for the new format. He says UHD, when combined with the higher dynamic range that increases contrast, is “the biggest change to TV since we moved to colour”.

The Natural History Unit was an early adopter of the technology, as even without 4K TV sets, there are so many advantages to filming in 4K to give a higher quality product to everyone regardless of the set they have.

All of Planet Earth II was made in UHD and in the iPlayer trials enabled by collaborating with �� R&D, viewers gave it top ratings.

Within the ��, the main funder for UHD is Worldwide, and Worldwide will continue to drive the investment.

Outside the ��, Netflix and Amazon have a Hollywood mind-set and are investing in high quality drama and documentaries in UHD. In fact they and their audiences increasingly expect TV drama to look cinematic in quality.

A sporting chance

Many broadcasters, especially Sky, see UHD sports coverage as a big selling point, offering unbeatable detail that subscribers will be willing to pay extra for. The extra resolution means the action, the ball and players’ emotions will be more visible from a distance.

Even if the delivery of certain sports was to remain HD, then still capturing in UHD has the cropping and reframing benefits already enjoyed by the Natural History Unit. UHD capture may also allow for covering more Sports events and requiring less crew. Chris Tarren, change analyst at Worldwide, says UHD transforms the filming of a game like tennis:

“At Wimbledon, outlying courts could have a single UHD camera covering an entire court in order to get the final HD picture in which the ball is clearly visible.”

4K is not 3D

Many point to the high hopes for 3D and worry that the public just won’t buy into 4K. But 3D was hampered by the need to wear cumbersome 3D glasses. The 4K experience requires just a 4K TV and fast broadband.

The �� has started UHD trials, experimenting first with iPlayer streaming pictures over the internet. It will be a long time though before the �� will be broadcasting all output in UHD, and possibly never.

Andrew Dunne, the post production technology manager for Worldwide, says the future of UHD is less about broadcast and more about an iPlayer delivered service.

“There will always be a market for event TV, but most UHD content will be on-demand and streamed.”

Change will be slow. Even now with High Definition, while ��1 is broadcast in HD, the ‘Nations and Regions’ opt-outs are still in Standard Definition.

Chris Tarren says: “UHD will be more viable for more programmes when end-to-end can handle it. But it will come at a cost, and possibly not for another three to five years.”

He argues that what is likely to really help drive UHD forward is a much more software-defined world.

“So just like upgrading an iPhone, it will eventually be the same with post-production and broadcast kit. People will be able to adopt incremental updates in a cost-effective way.”

Related links:

UHD production: What do I need to know?

�� Academy collection on UHD production

4K and Ultra-HD: Making programmes

Is virtual technology a threat to journalism's objectivity?

2017-08-18T10:28:22+00:00

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are game-changers across the media. Both could have substantial implications for the future of news journalism.

If you're not sure of the difference, put simply, AR layers audio and image enhancements onto an existing reality whereas VR fully simulates an environment.

�� (Connected Studio), CNN (Virtual Reality Unit), New York Times (NVT VR), Huffington Post and others have been busy experimenting with AR, VR and 360˚ news storytelling for some time.

The traditional way news organisations work has been challenged by eyewitness journalism, fake news, and the ability of users to customise news preferences through personalisation.

As Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner wrote recently: "We must address the new power dynamics - engaging with people as civic actors, citizens, equals."

Now virtual technologies could give audiences even more control over the way they consume news.

Will this freedom encourage users to mould stories in a way that reinforces personal prejudices? Perhaps subjectivity will infiltrate news even further?

In a recent research article for Frontiers in Digital Humanities, multimedia journalist and immersive journalism researcher Eva Dominguez warned too much freedom may well lead to audiences missing the essence of news stories.

"The key is the degree of immersion. Too much of it and the truth could get lost in imagination where you're happy to make your own reality because you can."

Many academics and writers have noted similar concerning trends amid online fake news and social media bubbles, with frequent references to the emergence of a 'post-truth' landscape.

The fear is that virtual technologies will aggravate trends of belief outranking fact.

These worries become more pertinent when viewed in the context of recent struggles to make traditional news storytelling narratives work with virtual technologies.

Experiments by �� Research & Development have found first-person, point-of-view narratives don't work particularly well as they can leave the user disorientated and confused.

The �� virtual reality hub's Zillah Watson discovered similar problems in her recent report for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism called VR for News: The New Reality?

She noted the role of reporter may be undermined by virtual reality: "It's assumed a story is mediated through the reporter. But if an editor wants to hear from refugees somewhere, then for VR it could work out just as well - or better - if the refugees tell their own stories."

These issues illustrate how virtual storytelling is still finding its feet and is easily open to confusion if not moderated effectively.

There are, however, many clear benefits to virtual technologies that should not be ignored.

CNN became the latest broadcaster to explore these earlier this year when it launched its virtual reality hub (CNNVR). The New York Times, Huffington Post and others also have their own 360˚ and VR departments.

Much of the content on these platforms has received praise for bringing a new dimension of empathy and understanding.

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Edward Humes recently emphasised the extent of these benefits: "Interviews are essential and documents can be invaluable, but there is nothing like being present for the event you're writing about or, at the very least, becoming intimately familiar with the world and culture that your characters inhabit."

Associated Press editor Tom Kent agrees: "The potential for empathy is even greater in the VR world, since viewers can bond far more easily with a 3D character they're practically touching."

The danger of this level of immersion is empathy can be incredibly powerful and easily distort people's impression of the facts of an event.

The challenge is to create virtual news that adds to people's immersion in stories but does not open its truth to manipulation.

In Eva Dominguez's words: "undergoing an immersive experience has great collective potential - so long as the viewer is able to keep a critical distance."

And as the Ethical Journalism Network states: "getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism."

�� Taster: Try virtual reality

�� News: How virtual reality may change your life

Planet Earth II: Exploring boundaries of nature and technology

2016-11-11T12:17:18+00:00

Large swathes of our planet have changed dramatically over the last 10 years and the world of broadcasting has experienced similarly seismic transformations.

The original series of Planet Earth in 2006 was lauded for its pioneering approach to natural history film-making. The scale of its five-year production process was unprecedented and it was the first �� series to be filmed in full high definition (HD).

Ten years later, the Planet Earth II production team wanted to be similarly innovative. So the new series is the first to be commissioned by the �� in ultra-high definition (UHD). And an array of new technologies have helped capture footage in ways previously thought impossible.

Stabilisation technology for cameras has progressed considerably. The MoVI and DJI Ronin are lightweight and easy to transport (above and below) in contrast to the burdensome and costly stabilisers of the past. They allow camera operators to film smooth, balanced shots whilst on the move or positioned in an awkward location. This technology was used to capture a memorable scene of two male Komodo dragons in the first episode of the series. They also filmed shots alongside a swarm of a billion flying locusts, lemurs leaping through the rainforest and shots from the perspective of a new-born baby Ibex.

The latest high-quality camera traps also opened up exciting new avenues for the team. Remote trigger cameras have become more affordable and have a higher resolution, allowing the team to get crisp, vivid footage of the world’s rarest animals in remote locations. Stunning footage (below) of a snow leopard in the Himalayas was captured using new camera traps and Producer Fredi Devas explains how they were used throughout the series.

Drones have also provided a world of aerial possibilities. The hatchling marine iguanas’ battles against racer snakes – which became an instant internet sensation after transmission of the first episode – was partly captured using drones. So was footage of Araguaian river dolphins in the Amazon.

Low-light cameras have also experienced a substantial change, with 4K cameras boasting considerably increased sensitivity. Camera operators can now film in situations previously considered too dark. These cameras were used to capture hyenas at night, bioluminescent jungle animals and birds of paradise in the gloom.

These technologies will surely become more common in the coming years. The �� is currently developing a 4K Ultra HD iPlayer service, for example. With virtual reality and 360-degree video looking like game-changers for the future, it would be great to be able to fast forward to 2026 and see what Planet Earth III will look like. But that’s a new technology that's still on the drawing board.