Consumer Tests Driving Next-Generation Characteristics; UHDA Membership Triples

LOS ANGELES — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 31, 2015 — The UHD Alliance (UHDA), charged with fostering an ecosystem that fully realizes and promotes next-generation entertainment technology, announced that consumer-driven testing will aid in the final determination of characteristics that provide the most compelling in-home, next-generation entertainment experience.

Composed of the leading film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers, content distributors and technology companies, the UHDA also announced that its membership has nearly tripled since its formation earlier this year and that it is close to finalizing specification elements as well as certification, logo and other critical ecosystem components.

“The Alliance believes that the most compelling next-generation experience delivers 4K resolution, high dynamic range, wide color gamut, high frame rate, immersive audio and other features that create a dramatic new experience for consumers,” said UHD Alliance President Hanno Basse. “Our consumer testing is designed to help us confirm the possible combinations of features that collectively will help usher in a new era of in-home entertainment.”

Premium quality specifications, which are nearing completion, will incorporate insights gleaned from the relevant experiential consumer research to fine tune and finalize performance requirements designed to deliver the most captivating consumer experience.

Also under development are comprehensive certification/compliance and logo programs. While current activities are focused on hardware and packaged and streamed content, the Alliance expects to turn next to specifications and certification/compliance programs for content distributed via broadcast, satellite and cable.

“Getting the right combination of resolution, dynamic range, colour and audio across broadcast, streaming and packaged media is essential for a step change in quality experiences,” said Simon Gauntlett, CTO of Europe’s Digital Television Group (DTG). “Wide industry collaboration is the only way to achieve this and to ensure that consumers have clear information to give them confidence to invest in Ultra HD products and services.”

Since the UHDA’s formation in January, membership has grown to nearly 30 companies including most of the major Hollywood studios, consumer electronics companies representing the majority of today’s 4K Ultra HD TV market, cutting-edge developers of enabling technology and top players in content distribution. These companies are leading the charge into this new era of home entertainment through advances in resolution, brightness, contrast, dynamic range color and audio, that will enable next-generation technology and content to replicate the richness of life’s sights and sounds and allow viewers to more fully and accurately experience the content creator’s vision.

“The global Ultra HD ecosystem is poised for strong growth over the next several years, fueled by a rapid rise in consumer uptake of Ultra HD TV sets,” noted Paul Erickson, senior analyst at IHS Technology. “IHS expects annual shipments of Ultra HD TVs to grow from nearly 12 million in 2014 to nearly 96 million in 2019, with well over 300 million in use by the end of 2019. With consumers constantly struggling to understand different terminologies, acronyms and feature descriptions, efforts to reduce buyer confusion and improve consistency of the experience benefit not only consumers, but the industry as well.”

UHDA leadership will be in attendance at IFA and IBC to discuss the organization, its mission and its progress. Media interested in meeting with the UHDA may schedule a meeting through the provided media contact.

ABOUT THE UHD ALLIANCE:

The UHD Alliance (UHDA) is a global coalition of leading film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers, content distributors and technology companies aligned to foster the creation of an ecosystem that fully realizes and promotes the next-generation premium in-home entertainment platform. Key characteristics of a robust next generation experience should offer 4K resolution as well as a mix of other features that include high dynamic range, wide color gamut, high frame rate and immersive audio, among other features. Comprised of nearly 30 member companies, the UHDA Board members are executives from the following member companies: The DIRECTV Group Inc, Dolby Laboratories, LG Electronics, Netflix, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation, Technicolor, The Walt Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment. To learn more about the UHD Alliance, please visit: www.uhdalliance.org