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THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BROADCAST-GRADE 8K EFP CAMERA AND ITS APPLICATION AT
THE INTERNATIONAL WINTER GAMES


THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BROADCAST-GRADE 8K EFP CAMERA AND ITS APPLICATION AT
THE INTERNATIONAL WINTER GAMES

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Representing Broadcast & Media Technology Suppliers Worldwide
Articles covering a range of key topics and themes
In depth analysis of the latest trends


THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BROADCAST-GRADE 8K EFP CAMERA AND ITS APPLICATION AT
THE INTERNATIONAL WINTER GAMES


THU 18, 04 2024


THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BROADCAST-GRADE 8K EFP CAMERA AND ITS APPLICATION AT
THE INTERNATIONAL WINTER GAMES



Mr. SHI Liang, Mrs. DING Xueling, Mr. ZHOU Yi

(1. Academy of Broadcasting Science, NRTA, Beijing 100086, China; 2. China Media
Group, Beijing 100045, China; 3. China Association of Press of Technicians,
Beijing 100037, China)

 

Abstract: This paper introduces the technical framework and design scheme of the
newly developed 8K ultra-high-definition camera system, and focuses on the
analysis of its core technical advantages, as well as identifying 10 technical
highlights and six technical indicators achieved. It also analyzes the system’s
practical application at the international winter games. The new broadcast-grade
8K EFP camera fills the gap of domestic 8K image vision and camera products in
the field of broadcast, film and television, which is conducive to improving the
current situation of backward front-end equipment for video recording and
editing in our country, and is expected to promote the development of the entire
ultra-high-definition video industry chain.

Keywords: 8K EFP, studio camera, Ultra HD video production and broadcast,
international winter games

Ⅰ. Status and Problems of 8K UHD Camera Market

1.1 8K UHD and its industry chain

Ultra-High Definition (UHD) video is a new intergenerational evolution of video
technology following analog, standard definition and high definition,
paralleling 5G and artificial intelligence as an important development direction
of the latest generation of information technology. 8K UHD has a resolution of
7680×4320 pixels, with the number of pixels in a single frame 16 times higher
than high definition, and with 4320 lines, gives a theoretical horizontal
clarity four times higher than high definition. 8K UHD video significantly
improves video quality and sound effects in all respects, providing viewers with
an immersive viewing experience. More intuitively, the video is presented more
clearly on display screen of the same size as an equivalent 4KUHD video screen,
with better image quality and richer visual details.

The overall industry chain of UHD video can be divided into four levels: core
components, equipment layer, service layer, and application layer. The core
components mainly include photosensitive devices, storage chips, codec chips,
image chips, processor chips, and display panels. The equipment layer includes
video production and broadcasting equipment, network transmission equipment, and
terminal presentation equipment. The service layer includes content services,
integration services, and distribution services, etc. The application layer
includes fields such as broadcasting and television, education and
entertainment, security monitoring, medical and health care, etc. UHD cameras
belong to the forefront of the equipment layer and are also the most important
video production and broadcasting equipment.

1.2 Characteristics and Capabilities of 8K Camera Systems

The 8K camera is the starting point of the UHD video industry, the capability of
which directly determines the quality of the source video of the 8K UHD video
chain. Currently, 8K cameras are mainly divided into professional broadcast
grade and non-broadcast grade cameras. 8K professional broadcast-grade cameras
require extremely powerful hardware processing capabilities, as well as high
heat dissipation requirements during data processing, large photoreceptor
elements, etc. Simultaneously, 8K cameras need to provide good support for high
dynamic range, wide color gamut, etc., to maximize the quality of recording and
reproduction of the scene. For in-camera recording, it is necessary to provide
richer and more effective information for post-production and storage. The bit
rate of recorded video files can reach several gigabytes, requiring extremely
high I/O performance for real-time recording. The importance of broadcast-grade
production scenes is important, as they require high stability and reliability
of equipment and related systems, which are difficult for non-professional
broadcast-grade equipment to reach (CCID, 2021).

Ⅱ. Technology architecture and design scheme of the 8K UHD camera system

The 8K UHD camera system is the pinnacle of technology in the global camera
manufacturing industry, integrating cutting-edge technologies such as
semiconductor photosensitive technology, integrated electronic circuit
technology, precision machining technology, large-scale software system control,
intelligent control and optical transmission technology. An 8K UHD camera system
consists of nearly 200,000 components; the difficulty of innovation is
self-evident.

2.1 Technical architecture

A domestic 8K broadcast-grade camera mainly consists of an optical lens,
photoelectric conversion system, image signal processing (ISP) unit, input and
output units and accessories. Among them, the photoelectric conversion system
and ISP unit are the critical components of the camera, as shown in the
following figure:

Fig. 1 Technical architecture of the 8K UHD camera



(1) Customized 8K CMOS chip for photoelectric conversion. The chip has a
resolution of over 65 million pixels, with low readout noise, high dynamic
range, excellent shutter efficiency and angular response. Compared to a
traditional CCD chip, CMOS also has the characteristics of fast imaging speed,
simple device structure, small size, low power consumption, high
cost-effectiveness and easy control.

(2) The image signal processing unit is independently developed based on deep
research. The ISP of a broadcast-grade camera involves dozens of TV standards.
Without long-term experience in broadcasting technology, it is difficult to
achieve complete coverage of all standards. The newly produced 8K UHD system is
based on the in-depth understanding of professional user requirements and usage
habits in the broadcasting and television industry, and is fully independently
developed software.

(3) Other main technical links: ①Serial-parallel conversion, which converts the
scanned serial signal into a parallel signal that can be recognized by the
computer. They also reduce the processing pressure on the IC chip caused by
instantaneous large amounts of data, ultra-high speed processing, and
transmission; ②Shaping, adding signal indexes and numbering information (such as
ID, signal source, signal attributes, etc.), converts numerical values into
addresses for subsequent image signal processing; ③Serial digital interface for
long-distance transmission of image signals and audio and video signals (Zhou
Yi, 2020).

 

2.2 Design scheme

A broadcast-grade 8K EFP camera mainly consists of a photosensitive and
photoelectric conversion system, signal and image processing system, signal
packaging transmission and uncompressed photoelectric transmission system, and
CCU station (decoding, processing, signal output interface system).

(1) Photosensitive and photoelectric conversion system

The 8K camera has a customized CMOS photoreceptor chip with microprism design.
Industry experience shows that prismatic multi-chip sensors will have better
image quality. Therefore, the 8K camera sensor adopts micro-prism spectroscopy
technology, which takes into account the high resolution and high quality of the
image, improving the accuracy of image spectroscopy and color reproduction. This
technology that improves image color restoration without using rendering is a
characteristic of this camera.

(2) Signal and image processing system

Camera image processing is the most important part of the whole system. The
biggest feature of the 8K camera system is the use of a four real-time parallel
processing calculation scheme. In this section, the processing of high dynamics,
color gamut, color matrix, wavelength division, etc. of the camera is completed.

(3) Signal packing transmission and uncompressed optoelectronic transmission
system

In this system, the self-developed micro dense wavelength division multiplexing
(WDM) technology is utilized to achieve 8K lossless and uncompressed signal
transmission.

(4) CCU: decoding, processing and signal output interface system

As the main signal port of the system, the CCU completes the functions of
decoding, optoelectronic conversion and signal recovery of each signal in this
section, which is one of the most important parts of the whole EFP system. The
following figure shows the front and rear CCU panel design. :

Fig. 2 CCU design diagram



Ⅲ. Technical advantages, characteristics and performance indicators

3.1 Core technological advantages

(1) Advantages of image acquisition technology

Earlier 8K camera systems used prism technology, which requires three monochrome
CMOS chips to recognize red, green and blue light respectively. Then, the three
monochrome lights are combined to achieve an 8K-level of 90 million pixels.
Enlargement of the image may result in blurred edges, so the shooting effect in
dark environments is very unsatisfactory. Due to the fact that all three filters
must be aligned to the same point, repeated calibration is required. It requires
extremely high mechanical processing technology, thus resulting in slow
production speed and high cost of the camera.

The newly produced 8K camera system adopts point-of-view (POV) technology, which
is an innovation based on a Bayer color filter array to meet the higher color
acquisition needs of the broadcasting and television industry. Unlike a Bayer
filter array which scans pixels and calculates pixel values through
interpolation, POV stores and restores all color information to minimize
chromaticity loss. The images captured by the 8K cameras have higher resolution,
brighter and richer colors, less noise, and no distortion or blurred edges.
Moreover, the shooting effect in dark environments far exceeds that of other 8K
cameras.

(2) Advantages of image signal processing

Image signal processing is used to process the output data of image sensors,
including over 70 functions such as automatic white balance, color correction,
gamma correction, noise removal, color space conversion, edge enhancement, color
and contrast enhancement. The hardware part of image signal processing mainly
consists of DSP+FPGA, implemented through a large amount of software. 160
mapping tables are used in the calculation process to ensure efficiency. The
core algorithm based on the logic and mapping relationship of series mapping
tables is a key technical barrier that has been overcome.

 

3.2 Ten Technical Highlights

(1) The first camera integration structure with internal modular design
(including a full set of IC of FPGA)

The advantage of modular design lies in its flexibility, which is the trend of
future development. The biggest advantage of modular design is that the plug-in
modules can be quickly disassembled and assembled. And they can be replaced
according to customer needs, making maintenance more convenient and power
consumption easier to control. Modularity will become a prerequisite for future
lightweight/miniaturized cameras.

(2) Three self-developed real-time image processing and color processing IP
cores

Three IP cores solve the problem of combining core software and hardware. All
the color IP cores are self-developed. One of the three IP cores is JP2000, one
is dedicated to data integration and specification, and the other is ISP (Image
Signal Processing). ISP processing mainly includes white balance, gamma
processing, spiking, PQ processing, color broadening and color processing, etc.
Such advanced Image Processing is at the heart of the success of the 8K camera
system and one of the key achievements in delivering it.. Each manufacturer has
its own unique algorithms, which is one of the important barriers for
international giants to stay ahead of the game.

(3) Self-developed full set of AI image processing system software

AI image processing systems can significantly enhance the user experience. For
example, by learning the usage habits of photographers, they can automatically
make judgments and adjustments to the commonly used functions of the keypad,
making it convenient for photographers. Meanwhile, the habits of different
photographers and users will be intelligently stored in specific user areas. The
functions that users use more will be summarized and refined at the bottom
level, and presented on the keypad to enhance the user experience.

(4) The first CCU lossless transmission equipment based on a dense wave division
system

The CCU (camera control unit) is used to control the images captured by the
camera head and transmit them to the next stage for live broadcast. The linear
power supply of the CCU achieves a stray wave and ripple of less than 1
millivolt. It ensures that the CCU equipment will not be interrupted or
disconnected during live broadcasting when the instantaneous current of the
linear power supply is very high, thus improving the high reliability of the
CCU.

(5) Development of ultra-compact dense-wave combiners and splitters (up to 64
channels)

The ultra-compact dense wave combiner and splitter solve the transmission
problem when large capacity, high speed and multiple services are transmitted
simultaneously. The dense wave splitter system can achieve a maximum of 64
parallel channels, allowing the camera to process more data within a limited
bandwidth. And the size of the combiner and splitter is only about 50mm.

(6) Innovative production of a transmission system based on dense wavelength
division

The advantage of a dense wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system is that
it is a method of transmitting multiple wavelengths of optical signals that
carry different information by multiplexing them into a single optical fiber.
Compared to traditional WDM, the adjacent wavelengths are more narrowly spaced.
Therefore, it can realize ultra-large capacity, ultra-long-distance
transmission, transparent transmission of data and save optical fiber resources.
The dense WDM allows for more data to be processed on a limited bandwidth.

(7) New on-board camera control panel (including remote control unit OCP)

The new 8K camera adopts ink screen with lower power consumption as the display
screen. Ink screen is one of the display products with low power consumption,
excellent performance and high reliability. Even if there is an operational
error or power failure, the information on the screen still exists. At present,
the software and display inside the ink screen are all self-developed, capable
of local refresh, with a refresh speed of over 0.3 seconds/time. Combined with
the intelligent definition and recommendation of the user interface, it can
improve the user experience and smoothness of operation.

(8) The first adapter ring that can be adapted to various camera lens mounts

Advantages of self-designed lens mount: ①Good stability. The screws used in
broadcast-grade cameras prevent micron-level shaking, otherwise the flange
distance of the camera will change, resulting in blurred images. Therefore,
there are strict requirements for the design of the adapter. Our 8K
broadcast-grade camera lens mount, customized by the manufacturer in Shanghai,
is designed independently, and micron-level shaking does not occur; ②Wide
adaptability range and versatile application scenarios. Our 8K broadcast-grade
camera lens mount supports EF mount, PL mount and B4 mount, etc.

(9) Design and manufacture of aviation aluminum housings and broadcast-grade
dedicated EFP and ENG housings

The 8K EFP camera currently uses an aviation aluminum housing – the first one in
China to use aviation aluminum – in line with the trend of future development of
EFP camera housings.

(10) Development of high-power, ultra-low noise linear power supply system

Compared with other brands of switching power supply, the developed linear power
supply system has the advantages of less electromagnetic interference, low
ripple coefficient; higher voltage regulation rate, strong transient current
follow-up ability; simple design, low maintenance cost, and good lightning
strike resistance.

3.3 Realization of the six major performance indicators

(1) High definition: 7680 × 4320, 8192 × 4320 (for film projector)

(2) High frame rate: 50p, 60p, 59.94p

(3) High Dynamic: SDR: 11; HDR: HLG- 1000/PQ

(4) Wide Color Gamut: BT.2020 & REC.709

(5) High signal-to-noise ratio: over 65dB

(6) Gain: analog/digital dual gain (to solve the different gain characteristics
of the bright and dark field)

 

 Ⅳ. Applications of the broadcast-grade 8K EFP cameras at international winter
games

After many rounds of tests, the State Key Laboratory of China Media Group (CMG)
has identified the UDCAM-9000 8K EFP camera as the only domestic product whose
four key technical indicators (high definition, high frame rate, high dynamic
range, wide color gamut) all meet the 8K technical specifications of CMG. In
February 2022, the broadcast-grade 8K EFP camera was formally applied to the
international winter games after subjective evaluation and objective testing by
the State Key Laboratory of UHD Audiovisual in CMG.

The “Ice Ribbon” is the competition venue for speed skating. The system operated
for 15 days from February 5th to 19th, broadcasting all the events of Avenue
Speed Skating. A total of six 8K EFP cameras were used in the 8K public signal
production site for speed skating, among which the No.5 and No.6 cameras used
the 8K UHD broadcast-grade EFP cameras. The 8K cameras and imported 8K cameras
were used together for the program production at the competition venue, which
perfectly accomplished the 8K live broadcasting task and presented detailed and
beautiful images . The international winter games was the first to use 8K
technology to broadcast the opening ceremony live in its history. It was also
the first 8K EFP camera system that was independently developed and produced by
a Chinese enterprise in the 8K UHD broadcasting system.

 Ⅴ. Conclusion

Certain breakthroughs have been made in the research and industrialization of 8K
key technology products. A series of major events have driven the explosive
growth of 8K UHD camera system and recording and editing equipment. For example,
the “Spring Festival Gala in 2021 and 2022” of CMG has fully experimented with
8K recording and live broadcasting (cinema line broadcasting), Qatar Football
World Cup in 2022, etc. With the support of 5G networks and AI, 8K will cover
more areas of consumers’ work and life. As an important branch of high-end
manufacturing in China, the newly developed 8K EFP camera system has filled the
gap in the current 8K image vision, broadcasting film and television camera
products in China. Through research and development, we have mastered a batch of
technical patents for 8K UHD cameras and shooting equipment. The next step is to
promote the marketization and industrialization of the products. By effectively
promoting and driving the production of optical lenses, optical precision
processing, CMOS chips, lens mount design and production, high-end monitors,
precision industrial design and processing, related software development and a
series of high-end industry, it helps drive the upgrading and modernization of
China’s creative industries.

 

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