Following field tests in the US undertaken by LG Electronics, its R&D lab Zenith and GatesAir, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) is to demonstrate the first live broadcast of 4K Ultra HD (UHD) signals in Korea using technology based on the ATSC 3.0 standard. LG Electronics, Zenith and GatesAir were co-inventors of the transmission system behind the ATSC A/153 Mobile Digital TV Standard, adopted by the industry in 2009.

‘LG is leading the way in development and commercialisation of ATSC 3.0,’ says LG Electronics President and CTO, Dr Skott Ahn. ‘Test broadcasts like this show how we are partnering with broadcasters around the world to drive adoption next-generation broadcasting technology.’

‘This is a significant achievement in realising the feasibility of new broadcasting technology and an important first step in preparation for next year’s test transmissions here,’ adds SBS CTO, Youngsoo Park.

4K Ultra HD and HD mobile signals have successfully transmitted and received simultaneously using a single 6MHz channel. LG has also demonstrated its capability to receive HD mobile signals in a fast-moving vehicle using the technology that is likely to form part of the ATSC 3.0 physical layer. The developments in the baseline physical layer transmission system may soon become an ATSC Candidate Standard.

The ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard will require higher capacity to deliver 4K UHD services, robust reception on mobile devices and improved spectrum efficiency. The increased payload capacity of the physical layer combined with HEVC encoding are expected to support a wider range of broadcasters’ services.