LG and BBC conduct HDR broadcast trial

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LG has teamed up with the BBC and satellite operator SES to see if it’s possible to broadcast live HDR content.

The trial took place at the SES Industry Days conference in Luxembourg on the 26th and 27th May 2016 and saw live HDR content streamed to an LG OLED TV. The live satellite feed used Hybrid Gamma Log (HLG) technology, which has been developed by the BBC and NHK, Japan’s national public broadcaster.

HLG is backwards compatible and is said to “expand the contrast ratio and colour reproduction capability of SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) TVs.”

Being backwards compatible, the HLG stream can be decoded by both HDR and non-HDR receivers so integration into the current broadcasting structure should be relatively simple.

SES Astra has a new HDR test channel on its satellite network that will allow various industry partners to test display standards and content.

It may be some time before we see more live 4K broadcasts in the UK, but this news means we might soon be seeing more HDR programming in the relatively near future.

MORE: What is HLG?

Source: LG

Max Langridge

Max is a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?'s sister site, TechRadar, in Australia. But being the wonderful English guy he is, he helps out with content across a number of Future sites, including What Hi-Fi?. It wouldn't be his first exposure to the world of all things hi-fi and home cinema, as his first role in technology journalism was with What Hi-Fi? in the UK. Clearly he pined to return after making the move to Australia and the team have welcomed him back with arms wide open.