A study of development of transmission systems for next-generation terrestrial 4 K UHD and HD convergence broadcasting

Abstract

The worldwide transition from analog to digital broadcasting has now been completed, and the need to study next-generation standards for ultra-high-definition TV (UHDTV) broadcasting, as well as broadcasting and communication convergence systems is rapidly growing. In particular, high-resolution mobile broadcasting services are needed to satisfy recent consumer demands. Therefore, the development of highly efficient convergence broadcasting systems that provide fixed/mobile broadcasting through a single channel is needed. In this paper, a service scenario and the requirements for providing 4 K UHD and high-definition (HD) convergence broadcasting services through a terrestrial single channel are analyzed by employing the latest transmission and video codec technologies. Optimized transmission parameters for 6- and 8-MHz terrestrial bandwidths are drawn, and receiving performances are measured under additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and time-varying typical urban (TU)-6 channel to find the threshold of visibility (TOV). From the results, reliable receiving of HD layer data can be achieved at a 6-MHz bandwidth when the maximum receiver velocity is 140 km/h and no higher due to the limit of bandwidth. When the bandwidth is extended to 8 MHz, reliable receiving of both 4 K UHD and HD layer data can be achieved under a very fast fading multipath channel.