Euro1080 was the first commercial broadcaster in Europe to broadcast full-time high-definition television (HDTV) content. It was founded by Gabriel Fehervari in 2004 and is owned by Alfacam, of which declared bankrupt in 2013.
22-592: The name originates from the 1080 lines of vertical resolution in the signal broadcast, which is 1080i50 - 1920 x 1080 at an interlaced frame rate of 50 Hz. The signal uses Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The headquarters and studios are located in Belgium at the Eurocam Media Center. The parent company of Euro1080 is the Belgium-based Alfacam Group. Euro1080 began broadcasting on 1 January 2004 from
44-618: A Japanese analog high-definition television system. 1080i emerged as a leading standard for HDTV broadcasts. Many broadcasters worldwide adopted it. The ATSC ( Advanced Television Systems Committee ) standards and the DVB ( Digital Video Broadcasting ) standards allowed for the transmission of 1080i video signals. The adoption of 1080i was particularly significant in sports broadcasting. The higher resolution allowed for more detail and clarity, especially in large stadium shots and fast-paced action. The format's efficiency in utilizing available bandwidth made it
66-660: A complete image in a single pass. This results in a sharper and more stable picture, especially in fast-moving scenes. On the other hand, 1080i uses an interlaced method. The two fields that make up a frame are captured at slightly different times, leading to a misalignment in fast-moving parts of the image. This can cause artifacts like " combing ," where fast-moving objects appear to have a serrated edge. However, 1080i has been preferred in broadcast television due to its lower bandwidth requirements, making it more efficient for over-the-air or cable transmission. The origins of 1080i can be traced from Multiple sub-Nyquist sampling encoding ,
88-447: A higher frame rate without needing more bandwidth. This results in smoother motion, especially for content with moderate to fast movement, like sports broadcasts. However, interlacing also has some drawbacks. Since the two fields are captured at slightly different times, fast-moving objects can appear misaligned between the two fields. This creates a visual artifact called "combing." This can reduce image quality, especially in scenes with
110-453: A lot of motion. Modern display devices often use deinterlacing algorithms to combine the two fields into a single progressive image before displaying it. The frame rate of 1080i is usually 50 or 60 Hz. It depends on the region. In areas using the PAL or SECAM standards, like Europe and parts of Asia, the frame rate is 50 Hz. In regions using NTSC , like North America and Japan, the frame rate
132-470: A practical choice for broadcasters. However, it required more complex processing on the receiving end to deinterlace the image for display on progressive-scan screens. Overall, 1080i played a crucial role in the early days of HDTV. It bridged the gap between standard-definition broadcasts and the high-definition future that would soon become the norm. While its use has diminished with the rise of 1080p and 4K resolutions, 1080i remains an important milestone in
154-688: Is 60 Hz. The frame rate refers to how often a new field is shown per second. At 50 Hz, 50 fields are shown each second. This results in 25 full frames per second when the odd and even fields are combined. At 60 Hz, 60 fields are shown per second. This results in 30 full frames per second. Interlacing affects how motion is perceived in 1080i. Since each field represents a slightly different moment in time, motion can appear smoother compared to lower frame rate progressive scans. However, this also means 1080i can struggle with fast-moving scenes. The interlaced fields might not perfectly align, leading to motion artifacts. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) prefers to use
176-447: Is a term used in high-definition television (HDTV) and video display technology. It means a video mode with 1080 lines of vertical resolution. The "i" stands for interlaced scanning method. This format was once a standard in HDTV. It was particularly used for broadcast television. This is because it can deliver high-resolution images without needing excessive bandwidth. This format is used in
198-478: Is essential to maintain image quality. The increased resolution is particularly noticeable in fine details such as textures, text, and intricate patterns. These can be rendered with much greater accuracy than in lower-resolution formats. The "i" in 1080i stands for interlaced. This refers to how each video frame is displayed. Instead of showing the entire frame at once, the interlacing technique divides each frame into two separate fields. The first field contains all
220-413: Is typically 50 or 60 fields per second, depending on the region. This effectively means 25 or 30 frames per second when the fields are combined. A key difference between 1080i and 1080p is how the lines of resolution are displayed. Both offer 1920x1080 pixels, but the display method is different. In 1080p, the "p" stands for progressive scan . Each frame is drawn line by line, from top to bottom, creating
242-483: The Astra 1H satellite at 19.2° east and was free to air during its first few months. Thereafter, a €200 conditional access card was required to watch the flagship channel HD1. In addition to HD1, whose content is primarily HDTV showcasing for regular users, a second channel was soon created, HD2 focusing on live and recorded HDTV broadcasts of special event for selected theatres. Euro1080 currently broadcasts HD1 and HD3 on
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#1732852578915264-446: The SMPTE 292M standard. The number "1080" in 1080i refers to the number of horizontal lines that make up the vertical resolution of the display. Each of these lines contributes to the overall detail and clarity of the image. The letter "i" stands for interlaced . This is a technique where the image is not displayed all at once. Instead, the frame is split into two fields. One field contains
286-490: The 1080i format. Many ABC affiliates owned by Hearst Television and former Belo Corporation stations owned by Tegna , along with some individual affiliates of those three networks, air their signals in 1080i and upscale network programming for master control and transmission purposes, as most syndicated programming and advertising is produced and distributed in 1080i/p, removing a downscaling step to 720p. This also allows local newscasts on these ABC affiliates to be produced in
308-606: The bandwidth required for transmission. In the United States, 1080i is the preferred format for most broadcasters, with Warner Bros. Discovery , Paramount Global , and Comcast owned networks broadcasting in the format, along with most smaller broadcasters. Only Fox - and Disney -owned television networks, along with MLB Network and a few other cable networks, use 720p as the preferred format for their networks; A&E Networks channels converted from 720p to 1080i sometime in 2013 due to acquired networks already transmitting in
330-428: The broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite and semiconductor industries. ATSC was initially formed in 1982 to develop a first-generation digital television standard that could replace existing analog transmission systems. The new digital system became known as "ATSC 1.0." ATSC 1.0 is in use in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South Korea and Honduras, and also in
352-578: The cable operator Integan has broadcast HDTV in the outskirts of the city of Antwerp , in partnership with Euro1080. On 1 October 2006 Euro1080 started a new digital culture channel named EXQI. The first target audience was the Flemish and Dutch market, but the channel has expansion plans to more than 10 channels for the major European countries. On 7 January 2007 Euro1080 switched to MPEG-4 AVC for its satellite broadcasts. MPEG-2 broadcasts for HD1 were switched off on 1 January 2008. 1080i50 1080i
374-590: The evolution of television technology. The core of 1080i is its resolution. The resolution is 1920x1080 pixels. This means that each video frame has 1,920 pixels horizontally and 1,080 pixels vertically. This results in over two million individual pixels per frame. This high resolution is why 1080i is called "high-definition". It offers a significant improvement over standard-definition formats, which typically have much lower pixel counts. The 1920x1080 resolution allows for greater detail and clarity in images. This makes it ideal for larger screens where higher pixel density
396-561: The following satellite: It is also possible to receive it from a growing number of cable operators. Two channels have been temporarily removed recently: A new channel was launched in 2008: In October 2005, HD1 and HD2 simulcast in both MPEG-4 and MPEG-2. This dual encoding lasted until 2007. Telenet , the main cable operator in Flanders , confirmed as part of its launch announcement of "Telenet Digital TV" on 16 June 2005 that it would sell HDTV set-top-boxes from June 2006. Since July 2005,
418-447: The higher resolution (especially for weather forecasting presentation purposes for map clarity) to match the picture quality of their 1080i competitors. Advanced Television Systems Committee The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC ) is an international nonprofit organization developing technical standards for digital terrestrial television and data broadcasting . ATSC's 120-plus member organizations represent
440-410: The odd-numbered lines (1, 3, 5, etc.), and the second field contains all the even-numbered lines (2, 4, 6, etc.). These two fields are displayed one after the other. The odd lines are shown first, followed by the even lines. This happens very quickly, around 50 or 60 fields per second. The human eye sees these two fields as a single, continuous image. The main advantage of interlacing is that it allows for
462-403: The odd-numbered lines, and the other field contains the even-numbered lines. These fields are displayed in rapid succession, giving the appearance of a full image to the human eye. The interlacing technique was developed to improve the motion portrayal of images without doubling the required bandwidth. This is particularly useful in broadcasting, where bandwidth efficiency is crucial. The frame rate
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#1732852578915484-505: The resolution and frame rate (not field rate) separated by a slash , as in 1080i/30 and 1080i/25 , likewise 480i/30 and 576i/25. Resolutions of 1080i60 or 1080i50 often refers to 1080i/30 or 1080i/25 in EBU notation. The 1080i video signals can be carried by four main digital television broadcast systems: ATSC , DVB , ISDB and DTMB . In both ATSC and DVB systems, the 1080i signal is compressed using codecs like MPEG-2 or H.264 to reduce
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