710334Xylostream UHD Proof of Concept (UHDPOC)ClosedGRD Proof of ConceptInnovate UKThe Xylostream Ultra High Definition Proof of Concept project (UHDPOC) will confirm the performance benefits available from the new High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard approved in January 2013 in the application area of Ultra High Definition Television (UHDTV). Today’s High Definition (HD) TV channels require ~6 Mbit/s of network bandwidth using current H.264/MPEG-4 AVC compression technology for delivery to consumer devices at reasonable picture quality. The targeted benefit of HEVC is a 2:1 improvement in coding efficiency over AVC, especially for large format pictures, meaning HD can be delivered in ~3Mbit/s. The new HEVC standard, soon to be called H.265, defines a complex toolset for video encoding, but not how to use it. The proposed project is focused on the R&D to realise a deployable algorithm for UHDTV applications from the HEVC toolset. This will be achieved through innovative algorithm development creating a step change in performance. This will have a dramatic impact on the TV delivery business, allowing HD channels to be delivered more cost-effectively and enabling growth in the number of HD channels. It will also aid the simultaneous delivery of several different TV programs over IP networks to multiple devices in the home and new TV services to mobile phones. In addition, HEVC is essential for enabling new services such as the latest UHDTV formats, which have about “4k” pixels per line (specifically 3840 x 2160 lines), or 4 times the pixel density of today’s screens. Although UHD content is already being produced and UHDTV sets are available for sale in the UK, there is as yet no cost-effective means of delivering UHD content into the home. Without HEVC, UHDTV is unlikely to become an economic success. The UK media sector, which contributes ~10% to total UK exports, will be a primary beneficiary of a new global market in UHD content, and so insuring HEVC is suited to UHDTV delivery is critical to the UK media industry.