[Guangzhou, China, November 3, 2020] HiSilicon showcased a series of next-generation 4K and 8K chipsets including CUVA HDR, AVS2, AVS3, 3D Audio, and China DRM technical standards and powered by innovative 5G and AI-supported technologies, at the 2020 World Conference on Ultra HD Video (4K/8K) Industry held in Guangzhou, cementing the company's reputation as a pioneer in the field of the 4K and 8K technologies. HiSilicon has worked closely with partners across its ecosystem to promote the development of the UHD video industry, a trend continued by its latest slew of releases.

4K/8K UHD Videos, Offering Next-Level Perception

The standards industry has flourished, in light of rapid technological change. With digitization and increasingly prominent high definition capabilities, innovative UHD video standards have spurred a renaissance within the industry, equipping ordinary users with the ability to record their surroundings, perceive their world in greater depth, and obtain remarkable insights. As 4K technologies have gained popularity, 8K has come to be recognized as the new frontier for the UHD industry. In home, mobile, and handheld application scenarios alike, when the 8K UHD video specifications are 7,680 x 4,320, 100/120 fps, HDR, WCG, and 10-bit, the pixels of static images, as well as the frame freezing and jitter of dynamic images, are no longer visible. In addition, users are able to perceive comprehensive brightness and color coverage. This means that visual perception in 8K UHD videos is now remarkably true-to-life, an uncanny approximation of reality.
Improvements to a range of communications technologies, as evidenced by the emergence of 5G, gigabit optical fiber, and WiFi 6, have facilitated high rate, heavy traffic, and low latency connections. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have blurred the lines between real and virtual worlds. Technological breakthroughs have helped transcend space and time-related limitations, further accelerating the growth of the 8K industry.
In China, TV stations and production organizations represented by China Media Group (CMG) have conducted 8K UHD video production and distribution tests. The seamless fusion of 8K, 5G, and AI will come to fruition with the first-ever 8K live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala in 2021.

Relentless Evolution of 4K/8K Technology Standards Fuel Industry Development

New and improved technical standards have injected new life into the already flourishing UHD industry.HDR technology has undergone a paradigm shift, with the evolution from static HDR to dynamic HDR. The release of the CUVA HDR standard is a milestone in the shift to dynamic HDR technology. According to the China Ultra-HD Video Industry Alliance (CUVA), the CUVA HDR standard represents the basic standard for the ultra-HD video field, and is essential to applying video standards in the ever-changing information and media industries. This standard will help facilitate enriching image colors and layers, for significantly improved contrasts between bright and dark regions, and enhanced texture and details, making images more lifelike than ever. The CUVA HDR standard is also an open and secure by nature, adopting highly-attractive intellectual property policies, in which the CUVA HDR source code is available to all alliance members, ensuring the joint construction of a flourishing end-to-end (E2E) ecosystem.

CUVA HDR Technical Highlights

• CUVA HDR is an E2E standard technology based on dynamic metadata, which covers production, distribution, and presentation. When compared with static HDR, CUVA HDR technology helps ensure enhanced HDR effects that retain the original creative intention, regardless of whether they are on high-end, mid-range, or low-end devices, bringing a superior HDR viewing experience to a wide range of different users.

• CUVA HDR technology possesses highly flexible processing capabilities, and can determine the most suitable dynamic metadata for HDR videos with wildly varying features. Different HDR videos can be displayed on devices in a remarkably adaptive manner, thereby ensuring that there is sufficient space for HDR video production.

• The CUVA HDR standard system encompasses diverse HDR viewing scenarios, including televisions, set-top boxes (STBs), computers, tablets, mobile phones, and a range of other devices. It facilitates high-quality viewing for households, across the myriad of daily life scenarios.

Joint Development of UHD HDR Content and Devices, Facilitating a Widespread Supportive Ecosystem

At the 2020 World Conference on the UHD Video (4K/8K) Industry, participants from across the UHD industry gathered to explore new models for collaborative development, including closer cohesion between UHD HDR content and devices.
Qu Yaxin, vice president of HiSilicon (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd., spoke at the event, noting that HiSilicon has worked closely with the CUVA, offering constructive contributions on the research, demonstration, enhancement and implementation of the standard. HiSilicon's new-generation 4K/8K chipset solution not only fully supports the CUVA HDR standard via high video quality, but also supports a series of significant Chinese technical standards, including AVS2/AVS3, 3D Audio, China DRM, and SM algorithms. HiSilicon's solutions have helped integrate with 5G and AI technologies, while spurring the ongoing innovation and development in the UHD video industry.

HiSilicon has collaborated with upstream and downstream partners throughout the industry, embracing a philosophy of "alliance-formulated standards, industry-based application, and application-oriented ecosystem". HiSilicon will continue to assist in the construction of a full-fledged, global UHD standards ecosystem, with the goal of ushering in a new era for the industry at large, characterized by open, collaborative growth.