Imagine Communications and BT Collaborate on UHD Contribution Demonstration at IBC

Practical application of visually lossless compression delivers high-quality, high-efficiency live sports connectivity

Imagine Communications, empowering the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation, is collaborating with BT’s Media & Broadcast division on an industry-first demonstration at IBC2017 (Amsterdam RAI, 15 – 19 September). The two companies will show how visually lossless, low-overhead TICO compression can be used to increase the efficiency of contribution (backhaul) circuits for demanding live UHD content.

TICO lightweight compression, developed by IntoPix and now supported by the industrywide TICO Alliance, offers visually lossless performance at up to 4:1 compression with extremely robust performance. The compact nature of its algorithms make TICO ideal for implementation in software. Imagine Communications was an early supporter of TICO and other lightweight compression schemes for UHD on its Selenio™ media processing platform, including full support for 4K and HDR UHD.

At IBC2017 BT will be demonstrating a typical use case for the technology, using the Imagine Selenio implementation. It will show how multiple live UHD feeds from English Premier League stadiums can be transported over fibre to production hubs with no compromise in image or audio quality. This allows broadcasters to add production value, such as multiple feeds, commentary cameras and on-site studios, and more, while retaining the sparkling clarity of the UHD signal. The demonstration, hosted on the BT stand (O.D02) in the outdoor exhibits, incorporates Imagine Communications’ Selenio MCP solution into a bespoke fibre cabinet developed by BT for remote broadcast applications over its next-generation terabit fibre network.

Mark Wilson-Dunn, Vice President of BT Media & Broadcast, said: “We’re constantly innovating with partners to deliver a world-leading service to our clients. Our high-capacity fibre network, controlled remotely at the touch of a button, and combined with Imagine’s Selenio MCP solution, will allow production studios an unparalleled level of flexibility with their broadcasts.

“I’m looking forward to showcasing our work to the rest of the broadcast industry at IBC this year.”

Mark Senecal, VP of product management at Imagine Communications, added: “This is a hugely important demonstration. The lightweight, low-latency nature of TICO makes it ideal for live broadcasting when you cannot compromise either quality or reliability. Imagine is leading the industry in implementing both compressed and uncompressed UHD solutions, and our collaboration with BT Media & Broadcast has validated our approach so we are now ready to deliver into mission-critical applications. This demonstration is a game changer for the live remote broadcast industry.”

Imagine Communications will be demonstrating several products from its Selenio portfolio at IBC2017 (stand A.401), including the Selenio Network Processor, an all-IP-capable processing solution optimized for handling uncompressed UHD signals based on the SMPTE ST 2110 specification.

Additional information about these solutions and Imagine Communications can be found at www.imaginecommunications.com.

For more details on BT Media & Broadcast at IBC, visit www.mediaandbroadcast.bt.com/ibc2017

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About Imagine Communications
Imagine Communications empowers the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation. Broadcasters, networks, video service providers and enterprises around the world rely on our optimized, futureproof, multiscreen video and revenue enablement solutions every day to support their mission-critical operations. Today, nearly half of the world’s video channels traverse our products, and our software solutions drive close to a third of global ad revenue. Through continuous innovation we are delivering the most advanced IP, cloud-enabled, software-defined network and workflow solutions in the industry. Visit www.imaginecommunications.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter @imagine_comms.

About BT
BT’s purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed-mobile products and services.  BT consists of six customer-facing lines of business: Consumer, EE, Business and Public Sector, Global Services, Wholesale and Ventures, and Openreach.

For the year ended 31 March 2017, BT Group’s reported revenue was £24,062m with reported profit before taxation of £2,354m.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

For more information, visit www.btplc.com