Middle East on par with Europe in 4K adoption

Call it 4K, UHD or Ultra HD, it is the latest buzzword; a technology that is redefining the way we view, consume and even create visual content. Though experts from the broadcast industry in the Middle East region are optimistic that 4K is undoubtedly the future of the audio-visual medium, they opine that there is still a long way for it to become mainstream. 

“Every TV manufacturer has a range of 4K television sets that they produce. The ability to watch 4K is there. The ability to film in 4K is quite obviously there. It is that middle part of transmitting and outputting 4K in the most effective manner in the homes of people that needs to be fine-tuned,” said Paul Atkinson, Pro Video Product Specialist, Professional Imaging Department, Canon Europe. 

Sharing his insights at a panel discussion on ‘The Rise of 4K in Live Production: Opportunities and Challenges’ held at the recently concluded CABSAT trade show, Paul elaborated that delivery of 4K content into the homes of viewers is a challenge due to bandwidth issues. “Majority of channels are asking producers to shoot and submit their content in 4K, however, they very well know that it will have to be downscaled to HD and this is because the bandwidth required for 4K content is huge; you need a very strong broadband connection for 4K as well as a proper content delivery system and huge storage spaces,” said Paul. “Initially when the world was moving from standard definition to HD, we did not have powerful computers. Now we have strong hardware options with agile computers, however we have to rely heavily on proxy files to do an offline edit, thereby increasing the work flow. Delivery of 4K is really a challenge, however I would still like to believe that the Middle East is on par with Europe when it comes to 4K and in some cases, you can say it is possibly above it, may be due to economic reasons,” he added. 

TV producers, filmmakers feel the need for 4K

“4K is definitely the future. It is a natural progression; the way the world has moved from standard definition to HD, it will move from HD to 4K. It’s just the matter of when it will be a common place just like how full HD is today,” said Faisal Hashmi, UAE-based independent filmmaker. Speaking as a panelist at the discussion, Faisal said that 4K has become more affordable now to filmmakers for shooting given the availability of DSLR cameras and even in smartphones that support 4K video recording. However, the more important question, he said, was whether the viewer wants to watch in 4K or not.

According to TV producer and anchor Rohan Vanmala, there is still a large demographic of consumers that is yet to digest and enjoy 4K technology as viewers. “Most viewers are happy with full HD and do not necessarily feel the need for 4K. 4K becomes important in certain cases, for instance, if you are watching sports such as cricket, a viewer would love to have a technology that allows him to zoom in and see the ball very closely, or the stumps falling whereas when it comes to soap operas or dramas on TV, a normal HD would be more than enough,” said Rohan. 

“As a filmmaker, I would recommend everyone to shoot in 4K even if you are outputting content in full HD as it gives you the advantage of playing with how the final output will be. Its gives you enough leeway in the edit itself to reframe shots, to stabilize shots,” said Faisal. 

Required: An effective transmission and output system

Faisal too, agreed with Paul, and said that there needs to be a powerful system that complements 4K in order to stream or view the content. “I have seen people trying to view 4K on their laptops and most of the times, the video starts stuttering. There is a need for better compression rates, more efficient codecs. All this needs to be in place before making available an option of 4k for a video, more so because most people are happy with how 1080p looks and it runs very smoothly on a system,” said Faisal. 

“As a content producer, as of now, I wouldn’t want to shoot in 4K as the channel wouldn’t want to telecast a 4K episode in its entirety. It is not because the channel would not want to do it; it is simply because there is no enough 4K content that can be accumulated and supplied to a channel in order to make it run and telecast in 4K 24x7 and hence their resistance,” said Rohan. “It is also because the end consumer/viewer doesn’t really understand the difference. However, with new technology, we are happy to welcome 4K in our work and shoot using 4k provided there is support to the end-to-end cycle of pre-production, production and post-production. I would be happy to shoot in 4K as long as I don’t have to compromise on the quality, I do not have to compress my videos and provided my audience has no complaints,” added Rohan. 

Smartphones: Looking beyond TV for 4K content

Giving a slightly different opinion, Peyman Perham, co-founder of Peeta Planet travel series on YouTube, pushed for a rethink on the need for creating 4K content for TV. “I think content is going very mobile these. People do not have time to watch content on TV, smartphones are replacing TVs with the advent of apps such as NetFlix and YouTube. There’s a huge investment when you work with 4K and produce content for TV. But with the rise in smartphone usage, we need to have a rethink whether it is the right medium to invest in or should we look at other options such as smartphones,” said Peyman. 

Are we ready for 8K?

Even as the end-user is yet to come to terms with 4K, there’s already talk about 8K. While 4K is exactly four times of the resolution of Full HD, 8K is sixteen times the resolution of Full HD, and four times of 4K Ultra HD, making it Super Hi-Vision. 

"From a consumer standpoint, I feel there is still a large demographic that is yet to digest or enjoy 4K technology. So giving people 8K would be like giving them too much on a plate. Every technology has got its phase. Eventually, people will accept and start opting for 4K as the consumer is always hungry for something new. It is just a matter of time when that happens,” said Rohan. Talking from a film perspective, Faisal also felt that 4K has to become a commonplace first for 8K to gain momentum. “The advantage of shooting in 8K would be you can shoot in 8K and still deliver in 4K. This would help future proof ourselves. However, I don’t see 8K happening in the next 5-6 years; it is a far-fetched idea. 4k has to become a common place first,” said Faisal. 

Whether it is 4K or 8K, according to Paul, one industry that will never subscribe to 4K technology is TV news industry. “This is because the file size you are dealing with in 4K are massive and just not conducive to the fast moving workflow you need for the industry unless you are using file compression. Nobody would want to use the expensive satellite time to try and stream footage back to your newsroom for output,” said Paul.  

A journey of discovery: Wild is life 4K

According to Claire McHardy, Cinematographer and Photographer, we are on the cusp of a 4K revolution and the time couldn’t be riper to start recording in 4K, said Claire. “Although the delivery method and consumption of 4K is currently challenging, that will change over the coming months,” she said. 

Combining dramatic animal behavior and incredible natural spectacle, wildlife photography gives you the most immersive visual experience ever and it can get only better with 4K. “I have always faced an issue while shooting in low light conditions. Shooting after sunset is something I cannot avoid, however, with new cameras from Canon such as the ME-20 FSH, it is indeed a blessing for photographers. It could well us save us time and budget,” said Claire. 

4K: Next big thing in CCTV market

4K is a known development in broadcast TV but CCTV is just a small offshoot of the broadcast technology, which eventually follows its own trends. Shedding light on whether or not 4K cameras will be the next big thing in CCTV applications, Paul Atkinson, Pro Video Product Specialist, Professional Imaging Department, Canon Europe, says that it comes with its advantages and disadvantages. “The advantage is enhanced resolution and more details, but this can only be valid if the optics are of matching quality,” said Paul. Ask him how far is CCTV away from 4K and Paul answers with a grin. “Though cost will be a major factor, network visual solutions will need suitable optics, encoders, transmission, recorders and faster computers and most importantly, 4K displays to enjoy the glory of more pixels,” says Paul. “It may take 5-years’ time; but I feel 4K will definitely be the next big thing in the consumer and CCTV markets. It will become a commonplace just like how HD is today and then manufacturers would have no choice to but to use develop technology and products that support 4K,” adds Paul. He also says that 4K systems will need to be carefully planned so that the most use can be made of its higher resolutions. “System design must be seriously considered,” he says.