Another New Step Towards UHD: Nationwide Installation of 4K News System for Delivering BS4K Daily News

On September 30, 2019, NHK started a 4K daily news program, ?BS News 4K? on the BS4K satellite channel. We?ve been developing a new production system that consists of ?4K File Transfer System,? ?4K-IP Video Router,? ?4K File Base System,? and ?4K Video Switcher? at the BS News Center, the Network Center, and at local stations all over the country to carry out 4K/2K simulcast from the BS News Center.

We installed the 4K File Transfer System at seven key local?stations and 46 other local stations throughout Japan, to feed 4K content?to the headquarters faster than the previous contribution system. We put a 4K-IP Video Router at the Network Center in the headquarters for distributing 4K/2K inbound signals to both Network Center and other studios. This ?4K File Base System? is installed at the News Center for BS channel recording, editing, and transmitting news materials. We also installed a ?4K Video Switcher? at the BS News Center, which enables switching 4K signals?such as live cameras, video servers?and graphics. We therefore successfully built a 4K total news production system that makes it possible to broadcast 4K news in 4K quality.

IP transition is another element of this system. By adopting some parts of the system, the total flow processing both 2K and 4K signals works efficiently in an integrated manner. That provides great improvement in the total ease of operation, system expansion?and space utilization. Since this system also accepts 2K production, we?re convinced that the system can carry out 4K production while maintaining the conventional 2K production workflow. In summary, we present how we upgraded?our conventional facility into 4K with minimum cost while flexibly having the conventional 2K system as a back up.

Tetsuya Yahara | NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) | Tokyo, Japan
Yuko Kawano | NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) | Tokyo, Japan
Ikuya Kumai | NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) | Tokyo, Japan
Tatsuro Honda | NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) | Tokyo, Japan
Hidenori Konishi | NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) | Tokyo, Japan