SK Broadband announced on 4th that it is the first in the industry to apply artificial intelligence (AI) technology to real-time broadcasting, providing it in ultra-high definition (UHD).
Starting today, SK Broadband will provide the sports channel SPOTV in UHD (3840x2160) quality, upgrading from the existing full HD (1920x1080) standard. UHD is a digital format that is four times clearer than full HD quality.
While broadcasters have previously transmitted UHD during significant events like the Olympics or the World Cup, this is the first time UHD upscaling technology has been applied to real-time broadcasts transmitted in full HD within the IPTV industry.
The enhancement of the SPOTV channel's UHD quality is based on the 'SUPERNOVA' solution from SK Telecom, which is powered by AI deep learning algorithms combined with SK Broadband's technological expertise.
In particular, the integration of servers with high-performance AI graphics processing units (GPUs) will improve the perceived quality by enhancing the video's color and clarity, providing a much better UHD experience compared to the AI capabilities built into standard smart TVs.
SK Broadband selected the SPOTV channel to enhance the perceived UHD quality for B tv customers and offer a more vivid experience of dynamic sports scenes. Customers using SK Broadband's main models, Smart 3 and AI 4 Vision, which support UHD, can experience UHD broadcasting through software updates. TVs that do not support UHD can still view upgraded quality compared to the previous standard.
Jo Hyung-jun, head of the Media Tech Division at SK Broadband, noted, 'Utilizing AI technology, we were able to present real-time UHD quality improvements as the first among IPTV providers.' He added, 'We will continue to work on enhancing quality in a way that customers can perceive in the future.'