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CEA Expands UHD TV Terminology

New York – The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) revealed expanded characteristics for use of the term “Ultra High-Definition (UHD) displays for the home,” including among other things up-conversion capability and new minimum attributes for “connected UHD TVs.”

The characteristics, which were approved by CEA’s video division board and revealed during CE Week, here, build on the first-generation Ultra HD characteristics released by CEA in October 2012.

The expanded display terminology (CEA’s Ultra High-Definition Display Characteristics V2) is said to provide “voluntary guidelines” and will take effect in September 2014.

The new definitions were “designed to address various attributes of picture quality and help move toward interoperability, while providing clarity for consumers and retailers alike,” the CEA said.

“Ultra High-Definition TV is the next revolution in home display technology, offering consumers an incredibly immersive viewing experience with outstanding new levels of picture quality,” said CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro. “These updated attributes will help ensure consumers get the most out of this exciting new technology and will provide additional certainty in the marketplace.”

Under the updated terminology, a TV, monitor or projector may be referred to as Ultra High-Definition if:

  • It is capable of displaying at least 8 million active pixels, with at least 3840 horizontally and at least 2160 vertically.
  • It has an aspect ratio (width to height) of 16:9 or wider.
  • It is capable of up-scaling HD video and displaying it at Ultra High-Definition resolution.
  • It has one or more HDMI inputs supporting at least 3,840 by 2,160 native content resolution at 24p, 30p and 60p fps (at least one of the 3,840 by 2,160 HDMI inputs must support HDCP revision 2.2 or equivalent content protection).
  • It processes 2160p video inputs encoded according to ITU-R BT.709 color space or wider colorimetry standards.
  • It has a minimum color bit depth of 8 bits.

Meanwhile, newly added terminology and characteristics for “Connected Ultra High-Definition” displays were developed “because one of the first ways consumers will have access to native 4K content is via Internet streaming on connected Ultra HD TVs,” according to the CEA.

 Under the new characteristics, a display system may be called a “Connected Ultra HD” if:

  • It meets all of the requirements of the CEA Ultra High-Definition Display Characteristics V2 (listed above).
  • It decodes IP-delivered video of 3,840 by 2,160 resolution that has been compressed using HEVC.
  • It decodes video from other standard encoders.
  • It receives and reproduces, and/or outputs multichannel audio.
  • It receives IP-delivered Ultra HD video through a Wi-Fi, Ethernet or other appropriate connection.
  • It supports IP-delivered Ultra HD video through services or applications on the platform of the manufacturer’s choosing.

Overall, CEA said that Ultra HD TV “is the closest thing to bringing the 4K Digital Cinema experience from movie theaters to the home.” The technology is designed to deliver an immersive viewing experience with superior picture quality compared to current HD and displays.

Ultra HD TVs, projectors and monitors provide four times the resolution of today’s high-definition televisions, as well as other technical improvements designed to result in an unparalleled home entertainment experience for consumers.

The CEA said the expanded display characteristics also include guidance on nomenclature aimed at providing manufacturers with marketing flexibility while providing clarity for consumers.

Specifically, the guidance states, “The terms Ultra High-Definition, Ultra HD or UHD may be used in conjunction with other modifiers, for example ‘Ultra High-Definition TV 4K’.”

The CEA said it is working with member companies to develop an Ultra HD logo later this year to assist consumers in quickly identifying Ultra HD products meeting CEA’s guidelines.

The logo will be made available for voluntary use by manufacturers for product packaging, marketing materials and promotional activities.

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