OmniCam-360 panoramic of Konzerthaus. Photo: Businesswire

[Via Satellite 09-08-2016] SES, together with Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) Berlin, will demonstrate a research and development project at IBC 2016 showcasing the transmission of a 10K x 2K panoramic video signal via satellite to multiple devices. Filmed with Fraunhofer HHI’s OmniCam-360 camera and transmitted via SES’ Astra 19.2 degrees east orbital position, the panoramic signal will be received at the SES stand and transmitted to an Ultra-HD display, as well as a set of Virtual Reality (VR) head-mounted devices. The viewer can choose a viewing angle, zoom in and out, turn the picture on the TV display using a simple remote control, or choose to wear a VR headset, where the video signal is delivered simultaneously.

“We use a combination of technologies here exactly to showcase what is possible when using hybrid approaches,” said Ralf Schafer, Fraunhofer HHI’s head of division video. “There is no stadium in the world providing enough seats for all enthusiastic fans. So imagine a live event somewhere in the world filmed with professional cameras like our OmniCam-360 and then delivered to a huge global audience via satellite. And every single viewer at home has the best seat in the middle of the show.”

“Satellites are the perfect distribution path for these new kinds of video experiences, as they can manage huge volumes of data being offloaded from terrestrial networks. Furthermore, technology standards like SAT>IP not only allow the viewers at home to pick and choose a device – the TV screen, tablet or virtual reality equipment – but also they can now choose their favorite viewing position,” Thomas Wrede, vice president reception systems at SES, added.