PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elemental Technologies, the leading supplier of video solutions for multiscreen content delivery, today announced that K-Opticom Corporation, a comprehensive telecommunications operator in Japan, will use Elemental video processing for the country’s first live 4K Ultra HD high-efficiency video coding (H.265/HEVC) transmission. Elemental® Live systems will power real-time video streaming of the Osaka Marathon on October 27 in a K-Opticom-designed trial workflow.
A subsidiary of the Kansai Electric Power Company, Inc., K-Opticom (K-OPT) provides high-quality fiber optic services for the Kansai Region of Japan, including the prefectures of Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka, which together comprise the second most populated area in Japan after greater Tokyo.
“With resolution four times that of HD, demand for 4K content on high-quality, large-format screens is increasing,” said Mr. Takao Fujino, President of K-Opticom. “The advanced K-OPT optical fiber network combined with the power and flexibility of Elemental’s software-based architecture is vital to meeting this demand and to enabling this unprecedented experimental transmission.”
The Japanese telco is using Elemental Live systems to provide HEVC encoding of 4K/59.94p material acquired from Sony PMW-F55 CineAlta 4K cameras located at the midpoint and finish line of the racecourse. Each camera will be mounted with an AJA Ki-Pro Quad, which will send source content to Elemental systems via live 3G-SDI interfaces.
Elemental video processing systems will encode live content in real-time HEVC at 4Kp30 and stream video over K-OPT optical fiber networks to an NTT Docomo decoder with final rendering on an 84-inch Sony 4K Bravia TV. The public will be able to view 4K live coverage of the marathon in a special K-OPT exhibit located at the Intex (International Exhibition Center) Building 2 in Osaka.
“The stunning images and high quality of 4K are best showcased at a world-class sporting event like the Osaka marathon,” said Keith Wymbs, VP of marketing for Elemental. “Elemental’s award-winning H.265 codec makes it possible to smoothly transmit 4K images across wideband networks provided by operators like K-Opticom.”
Elemental Live provides real-time encoding for linear pay TV broadcast as well as live streaming to new media platforms. The system is designed to integrate seamlessly into an end-to-end workflow, eliminating configuration complexity and optimizing video for multiscreen viewing.
K-OPT has acted as the presenting sponsor for the Osaka Marathon for three consecutive years, providing FTTH network technologies and support for the event’s social portal and mobile device applications. This year, the telco has also developed the event’s official application, accessible via the marathon website and on iOS and Android devices.
About K-Opticom
K-Opticom Corporation is a comprehensive telecommunications operator providing fiber-optic Internet services. Founded in 1988 and based in Osaka, Japan, the company operates as a subsidiary of Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. K-Opticom leverages its powerful EO™ Hikari (Everywhere Optical fiber-optic) network, which is deployed across the Kansai area, to enrich consumer lives and provide state-of-the-art business support. With approximately 1.4 million subscribers for its award-winning consumer services reported at the end of 2012, K-Opticom is actively developing life improvement services for mobile and connected devices. To learn more, please visit www.k-opti.com
About Elemental
Elemental Technologies is the leading supplier of video solutions for multiscreen content delivery. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the company pioneered the use of graphics processors to power adaptive video streaming over IP networks. Providing unmatched solutions for more than 300 leading media franchises worldwide, Elemental helps pay TV operators, content programmers, film studios and sports broadcasters bring video to any screen, anytime – all at once. The company has offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore and Brazil. To learn more, please visit www.elementaltechnologies.com and follow @elementaltech on Twitter.