UHD Experience: Ericsson Media Solutions Unveils MediaFirst UHD

Ericsson Media Solutions has launched its MediaFirst End-to-End Ultra High Definition (UHD) solution, the industry’s first software-based, multi-application media processing and encoding platform to deliver UHD content from camera to consumer, across the entire media delivery landscape.

The new platform is making its global debut at NAB Show 2018 (Booth #SU720), where the company is showing how it is transforming television by envisioning unique experiences that can be delivered everywhere for everyone through a set of evolved end-to-end media solutions.

Ericsson ConsumerLab TV and Media research highlights how TVs with higher picture quality are becoming more prevalent. Ownership of HD TVs has increased from around 75 percent in 2012 to almost 85 percent in 2017, while 4K/UHD TVs are now present in over a fifth of all homes. The MediaFirst End-to-End UHD solution addresses this growing need, enabling consumers to enjoy a better and more immersive viewing experience, even on larger TV sets.

The new solution is designed from the ground up to enable contribution workflows using Ericsson Media Solutions’ advanced technology, leveraging high performance algorithms for encoding UHD content to be delivered across contribution networks, further delivered to consumers for an immersive experience across rich client interfaces. With the freedom to use High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology for a more natural and immersive consumer experience, as well as a cloud-agnostic choice of private, public or hybrid clouds, the solution offers the ultimate flexibility for formats and deployment.

Boris Felts, Head of Products and Solutions at Ericsson Media Solutions, says: “As ownership of 4K/UHD and HDR ready TV sets increases, each generation of portable device is pushing the limits of screen resolutions. There is a huge opportunity for operators to differentiate by delivering more immersive and high-quality viewing experiences. Our innovative and complete End-to-End UHD processing solution is the first on the market to unlock this potential. It enables operators to use elements of the Ericsson MediaFirst Video Processing platform to provide greater flexibility, superior low latency, and the ability to repurpose processing functions to efficiently deliver new and increasingly immersive UHD video experiences.”

The MediaFirst End-to-End UHD solution includes:
AVP System Encoder, to provide a future-proof modular architecture that allows on-site upgrades with no hassle or interruption. Powered by Ericsson Media Solutions’ first in-house programmable video chip, AVP encoders deliver MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC and HEVC efficient compression, with a smooth upgrade path to 4K UHDTV.
MediaFirst Content Processing delivers ‘no compromise’ UHD TV decoder with high bitrate, superior low latency 4K HEVC decoding and future proofing flexibility for current and evolving HDR standards.
MediaFirst Video Processing packaging and encoding for on-demand and live, enables the distribution, personalization and monetization of multiscreen high-quality UHD HDR video services, and supporting tone mapping conversion required for SDR displays.

Enabling TV service providers the capability to differentiate even further with this End to End Ultra High Definition solution, Ericsson Media Solutions can combine the Ericsson Video Storage and Processing Platform (VSPP) and MediaFirst TV Platform powering a unified solution for cloud DVR, on-demand and time/place-shifted TV services, supporting all media and screens, up to Ultra HD resolution. .