BEAVERTON, Ore. - TelAve -- The DVB Project, known for its leadership in establishing technical standards for digital television, is once again pushing the boundaries of video technology with the integration of Versatile Video Coding (VVC) into its framework.

In an insightful vidcast for technology journalists, Virginie Drugeon, Chair of the DVB Technical Module's Audio and Video Coding Group and Senior Engineer for Digital TV Standardization at Panasonic, delved into the significance of VVC's adoption and its potential impact on the broadcast industry.

Drugeon began by acknowledging the longstanding importance of video coding standards in the broadcast industry, emphasizing the need for continuous evolution to meet the demands of modern services.

"The broadcast industry is not new, and we already have video coding standards that work well. However, like any industry, it needs to evolve with the times, providing new services, better quality, and new delivery paths such as streaming," she stated.

VVC Drives Technical, Cost and Energy Efficiencies

This evolution, she added, is critical for reducing costs and minimizing the energy footprint of video transmission—both key factors driving the adoption of more efficient technologies like VVC.

VVC, developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), is the latest advancement in video coding technology, designed to offer superior coding efficiency and versatility. According to Drugeon, VVC was quickly recognized as a promising candidate for DVB integration due to its ability to meet the stringent commercial requirements set by the DVB Commercial Module.

"The goal of these commercial requirements was to provide better coding efficiency for video services and versatility for different DVB services," Drugeon explained. She highlighted that VVC stood out as the most efficient video codec available, making it an "obvious candidate" for DVB's next-generation video services.

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One of the standout features of VVC is its significant improvement in coding efficiency—up to 50% better than its predecessor, HEVC.

"VVC enables the transmission of 8K content at an excellent level of subjective quality over a legacy broadcast infrastructure, something that wasn't feasible with HEVC," she said.

This efficiency not only enhances the quality of Ultra HD services but also makes it possible to deliver these services over existing infrastructure, which is a game-changer for broadcasters.

DVB's approach to integrating VVC involved a thorough analysis by its Technical Module, which led to the inclusion of VVC in the DVB codec toolbox.

"The DVB group has done this work, publishing the specification as a DVB BlueBook' in late 2022, followed by a formal ETSI publication in July 2023," Drugeon noted.

These publications provide detailed conformance points for integrated receiver decoders (IRD) and DVB-DASH player conformance, which are essential for ensuring that any DVB receiver incorporating VVC adheres to the standards set by DVB.

Broader Implications for New Services

Drugeon also touched on the broader implications of VVC's integration into DVB standards, particularly in terms of new services and delivery paths.

"While Ultra HD and 8K are not entirely new services, VVC introduces new possibilities, especially for streaming services that can benefit from VVC's features like content-aware encoding," she said.

She pointed out that the versatility of VVC extends to personalized services and accessibility enhancements, areas where VVC can enable more tailored and inclusive viewing experiences.

On the demand side, Drugeon acknowledged that while the market for these advanced services is still developing, the potential is vast.

"Standards always come before the services, and it's always difficult to know exactly what broadcasters and content providers will offer. However, the better coding efficiency of VVC makes services like 8K more realistic, and even enables 4K services on terrestrial broadcasts, which was challenging with HEVC," she explained.

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Development Support from DVB

DVB's efforts to support VVC adoption don't stop at publishing specifications. Drugeon emphasized that DVB also provides valuable resources for developers and broadcasters to implement these new standards.

"We provide what we call V&V—Verification and Validation—which includes bitstreams that follow VVC conformance points. These are freely available on the DVB website for anyone to download and use to develop DVB receivers," she said.

This initiative is designed to ensure that the transition to VVC is as smooth as possible, with ample support for those looking to adopt the technology.

Looking ahead, Drugeon expressed confidence in the continued evolution of video coding standards, driven by the ongoing work of MPEG and the DVB Project.

"MPEG has been very efficient in providing new video coding standards every seven to ten years, typically offering 40% to 50% additional bitrate savings compared to previous generations," she remarked.

This consistent improvement in coding efficiency is a key driver for the adoption of new standards, as it directly impacts the ability to deliver higher quality content at lower bitrates.

Drugeon reiterated DVB's commitment to staying at the forefront of video technology.

"DVB will continue following what MPEG and other groups are doing in this area, an aspect that is fundamental to ensuring that we provide the most efficient and versatile solutions for the industry," she stated.

With VVC now part of its toolkit, DVB is well-positioned to support the next wave of innovation in digital video, enabling broadcasters and content providers to meet the growing demand for high-quality, versatile video services.

As the broadcast industry navigates this latest technological shift, the DVB Project's proactive stance on integrating VVC, among other codecs, sets a strong foundation for the future. With its focus on efficiency, versatility, and support for emerging services, VVC is poised to play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of digital video experiences in Europe, Australia and countries across Africa and Asia.

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EDITORIAL NOTE: For more information on DVB's VVC specifications and resources, visit the DVB Project's official website, where the latest documents and tools are available to the public.

To see the full interview with Virginie Drugeon, CLICK HERE.