Digital Cinema Initiatives and UHD Alliance

DCI – Digital Cinema Initiatives

Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI) is a grouping of major motion picture studios. The idea behind the formation of the association was to stipulate specifications for a common systems architecture for digital cinema systems.

When we speak of a system architecture, it is the conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and views of a system. An architecture description is a formal representation of a system that supports conjecture and processing about the structures and behaviors of the system.

The DCI organization was formed in March 2002 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros.

Its primary purpose is to establish and document specifications for digital cinema that ensures consistent, high quality, uniform technical performance, reliability and quality. Because of the relationship of DCI to many of Hollywood’s key studios, conformance to DCI’s specifications is a requirement by software developers or equipment manufacturers targeting the digital cinema market, Distributors, studios, exhibitors, d-cinema manufacturers and vendors have guaranteed interoperability and compatibility, by following content requirements.

UHD – Ultra HD

The UHD Alliance–comprised of the world’s leading consumer electronics manufacturers, film and television studios, content distributors and technology companies, came together to establish performance requirements for resolution, high dynamic range, color and other video and audio attributes with a goal of giving consumers the best possible UHD with HDR experience. The UHDA’s Premium Logo marks home entertainment products, mobile devices and content that match certification requirements. This makes it easy for consumers to identify and purchase with confidence.

Ultra HD (UHD) Forum is an organization formed to help solve the real world hurdles in deploying Ultra HD video and thus to help promote UHD deployment. The Ultra HD Forum helps clarify the standards related to high dynamic range (HDR), high frame rate (HFR), next generation audio (NGA), and wide color gamut (WCG).

The Ultra HD Forum is an industry organization complementary to the UHD Alliance (that maintains consumer-facing logos), covering different aspects of the UHD ecosystem.

What is meant by 4k video?

4K video resolution is high-definition (HD) video that has four times the resolution of 1080p HD video. There are two standard resolutions for 4K video. The Digital Cinema Initiatives standard for 4K resolution in the film and video production industry is 4096×2160 pixels. The 4K resolution standard for television and monitors is 3840×2160 pixels.

What is 4k video ultra HD?

4K Ultra HD is the name given to a screen with a resolution four times that of a Full (1080p) HD TV. That means 8 million pixels added into the same space where a Full HD TV fits merely 2 million. This was achieved by making each pixel four times smaller. For the viewer this result in a clearer image, more accurate color, and High Dynamic Range or HDR in most new TV sets. HDR is a technology that improves the range of color and contrast in a digital image.

Since each pixel is smaller, each one is assigned a small portion of a bigger picture, this technology works better on larger screens, the extra pixels have a bigger impact on a large screen because you can fit more of them in.

That is why you will find a 4K TV only with screen sizes of 40 inches or more.

Is there a difference between 4K and UHD?

Not at the consumer level where the two terms are often confused and practically interchangeable. But professionals in the video production or cinema industry will explain elaborately that 4K is a digital cinema standard that calls for a 4096 x 2160-pixel resolution. That first number is a horizontal measurement, the latter vertical, and they fit a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The term is based on 4096 x 2160 measures, because the horizontal measurement is in rounded to four thousand and is double the rounded up 2K (2048 x 1080) standard.

Basic viewing requirements for 4K videos

4K adaptive bit rate streams require between 10 Mbps and 20 Mbps of bandwidth, Netflix requires an internet connection speed of 25 Mbps or higher for online video stream 4K content.

Without a 4K TV or 4K monitor, you cannot view 4K resolution content. The UHD Alliance, announced an ultra HD specification at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show to support the adoption of 4K resolution video. This lists features to be included in devices, like televisions and Blu-ray players, to ensure compatibility with other 4K content and hardware.

To receive the specification, devices must offer:

A resolution of at least 3840×2160 pixels or higher;
High dynamic range (HDR) for color accuracy;
10-bit color depth, allowing for 1,024 shades of each of the three primary colors: red, green and blue;
Peak brightness and black level either more than 1,000 nits peak brightness and less than 0.05 nits black level, or more than 540 nits peak brightness and less than 0.0005 nits black level.

4K resolution standards and upscaling

Several video codecs and standards support 4K video requirements and bandwidth.

H.265 is a video compression standard approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in January 2013. H.265 better known as High Efficiency Video Coding, was designed to support HD video with resolutions up to 8K. It incorporates scalable video coding and promises twice the data compression at the same level of quality as its predecessor, H.264, for 30-40% bandwidth reduction.

VP9, a free, open video compression codec developed by Google, supports 4K video streaming and a 50% bandwidth reduction. It first launched on YouTube to support 4K video streaming, and was officially released in June 2013. Web browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera, support VP9, however VP9 does not have the same widespread industry adoption as H.265, as it is viewed as less efficient.

1080p HD which are lower resolution images can be up scaled on 4K TVs and 4K monitors. 4K devices must have dedicated hardware, such as a video scaler and image processing algorithms, to increase the pixel count in lower resolution images. Dedicated upscaling boxes offering more processing power than hardware built into 4K TVs and monitors can also be used to upscale lower resolutions to 4K.

HDR or High Dynamic Range expands the range of bright and dark levels shown on a 4K device. It expands color vibrancy and richness to simulate real-world brightness and darkness.

4K resolution vs. ultra HD vs. 1080p

Though the terms 4K and ultra HD are used interchangeably; ultra HD resolution can refer to resolutions above 4K. Ultra HD requires a minimum resolution of 3840×2160 pixels, but includes resolutions as high as 8K. 4K resolution renders images at four times the resolution of 1080p (1920×1080 pixels).

Advantages and disadvantages of 4K Technology

4K resolution offers better quality images at a higher resolution, this is beneficial in industries that use detailed images, such as manufacturing and healthcare.

However, 4K resolution has high bandwidth and storage requirements, which can negatively impact network infrastructure.

4k Videos trends in 2021

4K Ultra HD TV with compatible inputs for connecting streaming media player are already flooding the market, thanks to exponential splurge in internet usage and the rise in video and audio streaming activities is driving the media player market, especially since the COVID-19 virus outbreak in December 2019.

COVID-19 has affected global economy by directly affecting production and demand. It has had a harsh financial impact on firms and financial markets and caused severe supply chain and market disruption. It has bound most people to their homes for extended lengths of time. The 4K systems allow the consumer to stream video and audio content directly onto their TV systems without the limitations on mobility and issues pertaining to the consumption of memory space. It provides instant playback and allows the consumer to watch various streams at flexible timings, providing high advantages over traditional devices.

The global impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have already been felt, and will significantly affect the4K Ultra HD Media Player market in 2021.

With flight cancellations, travel bans, and quarantines, countries declaring states of emergency, supply chains grinding to a halt in some instances, restaurants and indoor events restricted, small businesses dying out, panic has grown among the population especially about the future.

4K is the future of technology for device and display industries. It is still rapidly growing in popularity, and paving the way for the future of digital resolution. Images, videos and cinemagraphs look sharper and more colorful on 4K displays. While 8K is already on the horizon, 4K is what we’re going to be using for the next few years.

Cinemagraphs with 4K

We are familiar with cinemagraphs as the small videos that we apply a boomerang effect to, and watch in a loop. They are created by shooting a video, taking a still from it and then minor and repeated movement occurs, forming a video clip. 4K videos give users the ability to take any single frame as a high-resolution image, you can record a scene or capture it as a photograph, simultaneously. Cameras and camcorders with 4K capabilities are ideal for cinemagraph creation, where the quality of the photos is unmatched.

Since H.265 with support for high frame rates and 10-bit color, is predicted as the new industry standard codec; H.265 has been optimized for 4K. Even with the same output resolution, there is an obvious difference between the clarity of cinemagraphs shot in HD, to those shot in 4K.

Video marketing trends 2021

2021 is expected to be the Year of Animated Video Marketing. Video marketing allows brands to connect with their customers at a personal level and foster more human interaction. Video marketing is powerful: it transfers information faster than any other content type and communicating it at the three levels simultaneously, audio, video, and emotional.

Video marketing increases brand awareness since videos are appealing and attention-grabbing content. Sound effects, music, and voice-overs make your commercial video or product demo video attractive, and videos are excellent for communicating complex information simply and quickly.

Here are some expected trends to look closely at for 2021:

Animated explainer videos

These are short branded videos commonly that describe a product or services creatively. Usually under 1-minute length, they are quickly digested and allow a brand to reveal its unique personality through custom illustration and animation styles. They also describe complex business ideas in a fun way. Animated explainer videos are the most popular among B2B companies, and can be used by varied industries from the financial sector, healthcare, and real estate to digital marketing.

2D and 3D animated commercials

Animated commercials are usually used to promote a brand, its products, or its services. These are effective advertising among marketing professionals, as brands use them in social media advertising, tradeshows, product demos, landing pages, and many more other spots on the web. An animated commercial videos used wisely can spark human emotions and help build stronger bonds between a brand and its customers. They are successful in increasing customer engagement and loyalty.

Animation and live-motion combinations

Using these methods together creates a type of augmented reality using the same perceptual and visual tips. Here the live-motion video is “augmented” with animated characters or environments, which makes the video unique. This allows a brand to introduce itself or its concepts in unimagined plots and scenarios thus retaining audience interest.

How to setup 4k videos

You can manually adjust the video quality of any video you’re watching on a computer, TV, or mobile device. For mobile devices, adjust video quality while watching on your mobile device by completing the following steps:

In the video player, select more.
Tap Quality.
Select your preferred video quality.

Lower video quality settings (such as 240p and 360p) will make videos start more quickly and the video player will remember this setting for future videos you watch.

For computers do the following:

In the video player, select Settings.
Click Quality.
Select your preferred video quality.

Adjust the video quality while watching TV in this way:

Select more options.
Click Quality.
Select your preferred video quality.

Note that since it is relatively new and in a high quality formats 4K may not be available for all devices, as they may not support the latest video compression technology (VP9).

Video content in 2021

Digital marketing has exploded all over the place and is a much need marketing tool. All business using it have gained benefits, and overcome early teething problems and complications as well. From content, voice-over, to infographics and images, to video marketing, which is evolving rapidly. With next-Gen technologies, more engaging video formats such as 360-degree experience, ephemeral video, and shippable videos are now an integral form of video marketing. These might just be the top content for video marketing in 2021.

Facebook Videos
YouTube Videos
Explainer Videos
Presentations
Video Blogs (Vlogs)
Tutorials
Webinars
Ads
Customer Testimonials
Interviews
Live Streams
Production Videos
Live Videos on emerging Social Media Platforms
Instagram Reels

So if the 4k technology has captured your interest and you would like to invest in your business by creating 4K videos, contact us at Appedology and with our team of expert animators, designers, storyboardists, we will take your idea from imagination to paper to digital wonderland, naturally.

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