[MPEGIF Discuss] Japan Broadcasters Adopt AVC/H.264 Video Coding for Mobile Digital ...

[Rob Koenen (MPEGIF)]

FYI. 
This first announcement of AVC adoption in a broadcast market is good news,
and it signals a change in the licensing terms that MPEG LA is proposing for
such markets. 
Best,
Rob
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_vie
w&newsId=20040323005974&newsLang=en
March 23, 2024 11:00 PM US Eastern Timezone 
Japan Broadcasters Adopt AVC/H.264 Video Coding for Mobile Digital
Terrestrial Broadcasting; Accord Reached with MPEG LA on Patent Licensing
Terms 
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2004--In a joint press conference with
MPEG LA today, Japan broadcasters NHK, TBS, NTV, TV Asahi, Fuji TV and TV
Tokyo announce their adoption of AVC/H.264 Video Coding for mobile segment
digital terrestrial broadcasting. A basic agreement is also announced
between the broadcasters and MPEG LA on royalties and other terms of license
under essential patents owned by many parties to be offered as part of a
joint license. 
The patent licensing accord is the result of discussions over many months to
assure both the practicality and applicability of the license terms to
Japanese broadcast conditions. Under the accord broadcasters will have the
option of paying a one-time fee of US $2,500 for each encoder using in
transmitting the AVC/H.264 video. The one-time fees will be offered as an
alternative to annual fees. They will cover the use of AVC/H.264 video for
free cable and free satellite as well as free terrestrial broadcast
television. 
In addition, it is recognized that broadcasters in developing countries have
different circumstances that may require further considerations. 
Statement from Japan Broadcasters 
"Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting in Japan began in December 2003. Through
these Digital Terrestrial Broadcasts, there had been plans to implement
broadcast services for mobile personal receivers unlike any seen before in
the world. Problems were encountered, however, with regard to patents for
the video coding technologies used for these services, and as a result there
was no firm schedule for when these services would be realized. 
These patent issues have now been essentially resolved with regard to
"AVC/H.264," the latest form of video coding technology. This resolution
represents a major step forward in terms of achieving mobile broadcast
services using AVC/H.264 as the coding technology. From this point on, it
will be necessary to undertake various tasks, including the establishment of
specifications for receiver terminals and ARIB standards, the development of
mobile personal receivers by manufacturers, and discussions with mobile
communication operators, but we believe that it will be possible to initiate
mobile broadcast services in the first quarter of the year 2006. When these
services become a reality, any user will be able to enjoy the latest
broadcasts easily, anytime, and anywhere. We consider this a truly
groundbreaking event, both for broadcasters and for viewers. 
This AVC/H.264 is an exceptional video coding technology that was developed
not only by the patent holders but through the efforts of many companies and
institutions throughout the world. We are pleased and honored to announce
that through recent discussions with MPEG LA, the requests of the
broadcasters -- that is, the users -- were reflected in the royalty terms,
and that it will now be possible for this outstanding technology to be used
in the field of broadcasting ahead of any other field in the world. 
We are confident that MPEG LA will take into consideration the differing
environments faced by broadcasters throughout the world, including those in
developing countries, to ensure that broadcasters around the globe may enjoy
the benefits of this new AVC/H.264 technology. We would like to take this
opportunity to once again thank MPEG LA and the holders of the AVC/H.264
patent." 
Statement from MPEG LA 
"We thank the Japan broadcasters for their cooperation in reaching this
historic accord. Through the miracle of digital technology, the efficient
use of limited bandwidth and high resolution once thought to be physically
incompatible now make it possible for broadcasters and their publics to
reach their full potential. What we witness here today is the further
acknowledgement of the interdependence between content and technology. Both
represent the height of human creative achievement, but one cannot exist
without the other. Through the shared efforts of inventors and manufacturers
who make technology possible and broadcasters who use it to deliver
innovative services that inform and entertain audiences worldwide, lies the
key to technological advancement. This represents a partnership in the
truest sense of the word. By their visionary leadership and tireless service
delivering free television to all the public, broadcasters make it possible
for consumers to enjoy the fruits of this cooperation and experience the age
of high definition television today. We thank the patent holders who agree
to license their technology under these terms, and we salute the
broadcasters for their public devotion." 
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) 
NHK is Japan's sole public broadcaster with 54 stations across Japan,
financed by the audience fee. NHK currently serves domestic audiences via
five television (two terrestrial and three satellite channels) and three
radio services which provide a diverse range of programs. NHK has been
conducting research and development on Hi-Vision (HD) since 1964, and now
almost 80-90% of General TV is broadcast in HD. NHK also explores future
broadcasting services, and has been conducting research on further advanced
technology. 
TBS (TOKYO BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.) 
TBS, Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. started broadcasting in 1951. TBS brings
Drama, Variety, Music, Sports and News programs to 120 million Japanese
people. With its 27 affiliated TV stations and 33 Radio stations, TBS
programs are watched and listened nationwide. TBS group now have satellite
broadcast channel BS-i, C-TBS, and 24 hours news channel Newsbird. We have
started digital broadcasting since December 1 last year. 
NTV (Nippon Television Network Corporation) 
NTV, celebrating its 51st anniversary, is the oldest and largest commercial
broadcaster in Japan. Its high-definition television systems and
state-of-the-art digital broadcasting facilities allow NTV to distribute the
latest information as we enter a new era of multimedia broadcasting. 
TV Asahi Corporation 
TV Asahi Corporation is one of the 5 major key commercial based broadcasting
companies, with affiliated broadcasting companies covering Japan. We have an
established reputation in news and culture programs. With our fully
digitalized headquarters which is ready to correspond from data broadcasting
cellular phone to the internet content, we are vigorously looking forward to
provide content and establish new services in any digital format. 
Fuji Television Network, Inc. 
Over the last 45 years, Fuji Television, Japan's foremost commercial
broadcaster, has been captivating audiences around the globe with its
extraordinary programming and thrilling motion pictures. So when terrestrial
digital broadcasting began in December 2003, it became the common mission of
the 28 Fuji network stations to deliver the highest quality digital
broadcasts to audiences around the country while continuing existing analog
services. Also going hand-in-hand with Fuji TV's commercial channels, are
its high definition satellite channel, and three standard definition
satellite channels. In addition, Fuji TV also provides an array of content
to subscribers via mobile phones and the Internet. 
TV TOKYO Corporation 
TV TOKYO, one of the commercial-based broadcasters as key stations, started
its (analog) TV service in 1964, and also launched terrestrial digital
broadcasting in 2003. TV TOKYO currently broadcasts, through the TXN Network
of six TV stations, to 32 million households in Japan, accounting for 68% of
the entire nation and covering Japan's major commercial centers -- Tokyo,
Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Okayama, Takamatsu, Sapporo and Fukuoka. TV TOKYO
produces and broadcasts a broad variety of programs focused on Business
News, Anime (Animation) and Infotainment (Information-Entertainment). 
MPEG LA, LLC 
MPEG LA successfully pioneered one-stop technology platform licensing with a
portfolio of essential patents for the international digital video
compression standard known as MPEG-2. One-stop technology platform licensing
enables widespread technological implementation, interoperability and use of
fundamental broad-based technologies covered by many patents owned by many
patent holders. MPEG LA provides users with fair, reasonable,
nondiscriminatory worldwide access to essential patents from multiple patent
holders in a single transaction as a non-exclusive alternative to entering
into separate license agreements with individual patent holders. MPEG LA is
not related to any standards agency and is not an affiliate of any patent
holder. In addition to MPEG-2, MPEG LA licenses portfolios of essential
patents for the IEEE 1394 Standard, the DVB-T Standard, the MPEG-4 Visual
Standard and the MPEG-4 Systems Standard. MPEG LA also is facilitating a
license for the AVC/H.264 Standard and for DRM Reference Model v 1.0. For
more information, please refer to http://www.mpegla.com,
http://www.1394la.com and http://www.dvbla.com. 
AVC/H.264 Video Coding 
AVC/H.264 Video Coding refers to the MPEG-4 Part 10 AVC/H.264 Standard, an
advanced video encoding and decoding technology jointly developed between
the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) of the International Standards
Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) and the
Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) of the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU). 
1 segment service 
Digital terrestrial broadcasting in Japan offers new services. In addition
to HDTV programs that can be watched on home TVs, it is expected to enable
viewers using mobile personal receivers to receive low-bit-rate images.
These services will be offered simultaneously on the same broadcasting
channel. Technically, the frequency bandwidth of one channel for digital
terrestrial broadcasting is divided into thirteen segments. Twelve of them
will be used for home television viewers, and the remaining one to provide
images for portable terminal users. Because of this allocation, the latter
is sometimes called the "1-segment service."
Contacts  
 MPEG LA, LLC
Lawrence Horn, 301-986-6660
Fax: 301-986-8575
E-mail: lhorn mpegla.com
or
NHK
Mutsuo Matsumoto, +81.3.5455.2445
Fax: +81.3.3469.8110
E-mail: matsumoto.m-cy nhk.or.jp 
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