Accelerating the Adoption of 4K in the Consumer & Professional Markets - White Paper - HDBaseT Alliance
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Accelerating the Adoption of 4K in the Consumer & Professional Markets White Paper
Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................................................................1
The 4K Revolution.......................................................................................................................................................................................1
Behind 4K......................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Making 4K Work with HDBaseT Technology....................................................................................................................................3
A Technology Primer: How does HDBaseT send so much data over a single LAN cable?........................................5
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................................................................5
List of Figures
Figure 1: Display Resolution Comparison..........................................................................................................................................2
Figure 2: 5Play Over HDBaseT.................................................................................................................................................................3
Figure 3: Packet Switching Over HDBaseT.......................................................................................................................................4
Figure 4: Signal Integrity - Without HDBaseT...................................................................................................................................4
Figure 5: Signal Integrity - With HDBaseT.........................................................................................................................................4
© Copyright by HDBaseT Alliance, 2014 All rights reserved
Executive Summary
Everyone is talking about 4K, or Ultra-High-Definition television. By quadrupling the number of pixels delivered,
4K promises a level of clarity, resolution and smoothness not yet experienced, particularly in the consumer market.
Of course, as with all new technologies, the promises come accompanied by challenges, and 4K is no exception.
Professionals, experts and bloggers alike will explain how 4K is yet to take off, given the dearth of 4K-enabled
products, from cameras, projectors to displays. And when they are available, the prices have so far been so high as
to prevent mass adoption.
We could also mention the 4K equivalent to the chicken-and-egg conundrum: to build the displays, or to create
content? It is a fact that there is still not enough 4K content in the market, but it should be pointed out that 4K
displays will make even standard high definition content look better.
But the one topic that we should be talking about is the issue of connectivity. 4K video brings a whole new level of
connectivity challenges, as the video must be delivered in an uncompressed format, which requires much more
bandwidth than traditional high-definition. As such, installations are even more limited in terms of distance, to
prevent high electromagnetic interference and noise. Last, such bandwidth requirements and lack of noise tolerance
demands high quality – and extremely expensive – cabling solutions.
This paper will look at some of these issues and show how the HDBaseT standard brings the optimal solution for
these connectivity issues.
The 4K Revolution
4K, or Ultra-High Definition resolution, has taken the market by storm, with the promise of amazing clarity, fine
detail and texture, and four times the picture resolution that we have nowadays with standard high definition, by
quadrupling the amount of pixels in the screen.
4K thankfully lacks the gimmicky aspects of 3D, and it is now clearly gaining momentum. Interestingly, 4K resolution
actually improves 3D delivery, as the technologies are not competing but rather complementing.
Commercially, the evolution to 4K is undisputed, as movie theatres and Hollywood understood early on the power
of the technology. In the consumer market, the take up is just starting now, even though 4K content is still scarce.
Nonetheless, display manufacturers started to introduce 4K TVs as early as 2012, huge screens (84-inch or above),
with hefty price tags. Both prices and screen sizes have gone down, making it a more affordable and practical option
to the home. Nothing short of 55-inch panels will probably come to the market, as the benefits of 4K resolution are
less visible in smaller screens.
According to an ABI Research report from August 2013, declining 4K TV prices will hasten the 4K adoption rate. They
expect Asia Pacific to lead in unit shipments for the short term, but North America to surpass 10% of TV households
by 2018.
4K translates into a resolution of eight million pixels, roughly equivalent to two full high definition in height and two
in length¹ :
Resolution Horizontal Vertical
480i/p (SD) 704 pixels 480 pixels
720p (HD) 1280 pixels 720 pixels
1080i/p (Full HD) 1920 pixels 1080 pixels
Quad-HD 3840 pixels 2160 pixels
4K (Ultra HD) 4096 pixels 2160 pixels
¹4K Ultra High Definition has been defined as a digital cinema standard, while the consumer format is 3840 X 2160.
1
Graphically, this is the comparison of the different formats :
SD 720X480
Full HD 1920X1080
4K
4096
X
2160
Quad HD 3840X2160
Figure 1: Display Resolution Comparison
The picture quality of a 4K display is remarkable. The leap is as significant as the one between the old 4:3 standard
definition television to 16:9 HDTV. In addition, this quality does not degrade as the screen size increases, which is
particularly important for large commercial digital signage projects. Even with very large screen sizes and video
projectors, 4K provides much more detailed and less pixel-visible images than 1080p.
Digital cinema, TV and commercial applications are not the only possible applications for 4K, as the higher resolution
can be useful for gaming, internet browsing and multiplayer gaming on the TV display, and still photographs (graphic
designers and home users.)
As it is to be expected, 4K brings high demands in terms of bandwidth usage, and suitable infrastructure is necessary
to deliver 4K resolution properly, independent of application.
Behind 4K
Delivering 4K under traditional conditions raises four main challenges: high bandwidth over distance, installation
complexity, high cabling costs, and signal integrity.
Bandwidth: While full HD demands less than 5 Gbit/s, 4K requirements jump to 10 Gbit/s, as 4K video is delivered
uncompressed to ensure high picture quality with very low latency. That means that traditional cabling options
are not capable of delivering 4K signals over distances of more than a meter, an unrealistic proposition in most
commercial projects and some consumer applications.
Complexity: This is an issue for all HD TV, and not specific to 4K, but it is important to mention that these cables
are difficult, if not impossible, to terminate in the field. Field termination is an important factor in reducing
project complexity and installation costs. Without field termination, installers must measure cable distance
requirements ahead of time before starting any job, without the option to adapt or change on the spot. Any
mistake can cause increased costs and significant delays.
2
Costs: There are two elements to the cost issue. First, the increased complexity means more man-hours in any
project. And two, cabling cost itself continues to drive up the price of every installation, as 4K demands high-
grade cables to guarantee performance.
Signal Integrity: Because of the high bandwidth requirements, signal integrity is a major issue for 4K connectivity,
as increased distances and noise interferences can critically damage signal quality to the point of no actual
signal transmission.
Making 4K Work with HDBaseT Technology
The most cost-effective and simple transmission infrastructure to deliver 4K video reliably is HDBase™ over twisted
copper cables. HDBaseT is a connectivity standard for residential and commercial distribution of uncompressed HD
multimedia content. The cornerstone of HDBaseT technology is 5Play™, a feature set that converges uncompressed
full HD digital video, audio, 100BaseT Ethernet, power over cable and various control signals through a single LAN
cable. For consumers, it means a home with only one cable connecting all devices, and not being beholden to the
location of power outlets. For commercial projects such as a digital signage network throughout an airport terminal,
installers can save time and money by running the single CAT cable.
Figure 2: 5play over HDBaseT
A recent report from Futuresource Consulting, a U.K.-based research and consulting firm, finds HDBaseT compatibility
with 4K is an accelerator for integration of the technology into flat panel displays, with vendors launching 4K panels
in the 60”+ ranges targeting niche markets and rental channels. Futuresource also predicts that developments in the
consumer TV market will result in a supply-side push of 4K into commercial markets beginning in 2015 with vendors
offering 4K solutions in the more mainstream 40”/55” screen size segments.
The recently-released HDBaseT Spec 2.0 brings additional enhancements to the technology which benefit the 4K
market, namely USB support (for latency-free control and keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) feature), fiber connectivity
(for increased bandwidth and distance), and multi-point connectivity (for example, for daisy-chain delivery of video
in digital signage applications, or for distributed multi-screen delivery of video for residential use.)
Spec 2.0 brings HDBaseT-packetization of the signal (T-Packets² ). With an HDBaseT 2.0 switch, HDBaseT packets are
switched and the conversion back to their native interfaces is done only once at the end device. The combination
of this single switching function and the lack of unnecessary native signal terminations reduce the cost of an
HDBaseT switch, and simplifies the implementation. This enables manufacturers to remove multiple interfaces and
conversion components that existed in first-generation HDBaseT products. The result is a smaller, more elegant and
less expensive switch.
²Not to be confused with IP packets. Although HDBaseT technology utilizes a simple Ethernet (LAN) cable, it does
not transmit IP packets, but rather standard HDBaseT packets (T-Packets). 3HDBaseT HDBaseT
Switch Switch
HDBaseT HDBaseT
Switch Switch
T T
T T
T
T HDBaseT HDBaseT
T
Switch Switch
T T
T
T HDBaseT T-Packets
HDMI -> HDBaseT HDBaseT -> HDMI
Figure 3: T-Packet Switching over HDBaseT Network
Such an HDBaseT 2.0 switch is ideal for delivering time- and latency-sensitive applications, such as 4K video, audio
and USB, providing all required services at an affordable price, both in terms of installation and components.
Finally, probably the most important issue around 4K connectivity is signal integrity, as 4K video has significantly
higher requirements than HD. In a setup where the infrastructure does not support the increased bandwidth for 4K,
image jitter will significantly degrade the system, to the point that the system will just not work as the signal loss
is just too significant. Jitter is caused by the corruption of the signal or because of electromagnetic interferences
(noise), and will only get worse as the distance the signal travels increases.
The diagram below shows how signal degradation effectively eliminates the traditional ‘eye’ shape of a clear and
clean signal. In this case, the eye is practically closed due to the increased jitter resulting from the high bandwidth
and long distance.
Jitter
Figure 4: Signal Integrity - Without HDBaseT
HDBaseT addresses this issue with the necessary bandwidth without sacrificing signal integrity over the 100m/328ft
supported. In the diagram below, the eye is once again restored as the signal is free of electromagnetic interference
and jitter, despite the high bandwidth and distance supported.
Jitter
Figure 5: Signal Integrity - With HDBaseT
4A Technology Primer How does HDBaseT send so much
data over a single LAN cable?
HDBaseT uses an asymmetric transmission method. That means that HDBaseT transmits a wideband 8Gbps channel
from source to display, sending video, audio, Ethernet and controls. On the way back, it transmits a narrower band of
300Mbps channel from the display back to the source, returning only audio, Ethernet and controls. HDBaseT utilizes
all four pairs of the Cat5e cable to achieve this bandwidth, as well as to send up to 100W of power over the same line
at the same time.
HDBaseT is based on an innovative DSP engine and Analog Front End architecture. This makes for an extremely
robust and resilient platform, so it can deliver even ultra high-definition 4K video on an 8 Gbps link. HDBaseT does
not have to pay any overhead to correct for errors, and still guarantees flawless video delivery.
HDBaseT employs PAM16 encoding, enabling it to handle electrical interferences while still meeting 4K over 100m
performance and enabling 5Play (video, audio, control, Ethernet, and up to 100W power.) PAM16 is a version of Pulse
Amplitude Modulation technology, where digital data is represented as a coding scheme using different levels of DC
voltage at high rates.
Conclusion
HDBaseT makes the installation process simpler and more cost-effective, and is therefore uniquely positioned to
become the standard for delivering 4K content to 4K displays. Let’s review the main challenges from the previous
pages:
High Bandwidth: HDBaseT delivers uncompressed 4K video – 10 Gbit/s – over 100m/328ft.
Complexity: HDBaseT delivers 4K over a simple, ubiquitous LAN cable (Cat5e/6). These are simple, flexible and
field-terminated cables, lowering installation complexity and costs.
Costs: LAN cables are inexpensive and easy to install, cutting costs all around. In addition, the extra distance
covered means no repeaters or extenders, further reducing costs.
Signal Integrity: HDBaseT protects signal integrity by eliminating noise and jitter, providing a clearer picture
suitable to 4K resolution.
HDBaseT technology is the optimal medium for cost-effective, reliable and simple delivery of 4K, a future-proof
format for the delivery of ultra-high definition video.
© Copyright by HDBaseT Alliance, 2014 All rights reserved
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