A retrospective
Domestic and foreign video self-media platforms have successively supported 8K HDR submission and playback, which has become the main driving force to promote the universalization of 8K
Analyze the technical specifications of 8K video of the two major video self-media platforms at home and abroad
Next, we analyze the technical specifications of 8K video on the two major video self-media platforms at home and abroad from a technical level, including the foreign YouTube platform and the domestic B station (Bilibili). One of the key factors involved is the video coding format, which is one of the core of the technology. As we all know, the higher the resolution of the video format for the network transmission bandwidth requirements, 8K video transmission stream is naturally much higher than 4K, although the broadband of many domestic families has already started at 500 megabits, and even many have reached gigabit or 2 gigabit bandwidth, but from the perspective of video service provider operation, it is still hoped to reduce the video playback stream and reduce network operating costs. At present, there are two video coding formats used by domestic and foreign video self-media platforms for 8K ultra-high-definition programs, namely H.265/HEVC and AV1. In terms of the current development trend, it is obvious that the AV1 encoding format launched by AOMedia (Open Media Alliance) has won a lot of market share in mainstream video self-media platforms at home and abroad by virtue of its more efficient compression ratio with HEVC, as well as the advantages of open source and royalty-free, such as YouTube and Bilibili. In addition, starting in 2022, Netflix has also officially started to use the AV1 encoding format to transmit programs to TV devices, and it is not difficult to find that by 2024, most of the new models of TVs, computer equipment, mobile devices and network video players have already added the function of AV1 hardware decoding, one of which is that Apple's new M3 chip has finally officially added the ability of AV1 hardware decoding, making 8K AV1-encoded video doesn't need to rely on the chip's soft decoding capabilities, and even entry-level Macbook Air can play 8K AV1 Ultra HD video smoothly. Of course, AV1 is not completely without competitors, such as HEVC's successor H.266/VCC, but unfortunately it lacks the blessing of 8K ultra-high-definition Blu-ray sources, and VCC has not gained much attention in the market.
Comparison between the foreign Youtube platform and the domestic station B platform in terms of 8K playback specifications
8K playback specifications of foreign YouTube platforms
The foreign YouTube platform can support up to 8K HDR specification image quality, using AV1 video encoding format, and you don't need to open a membership to watch. Note: The screenshots of the above videos are taken from the 8K videos of "Links TV" and "8K VIDEOS ULTRA HD" channels, interested friends can find and watch
The domestic station B platform supports up to 8K image quality,But HDR true color mode can only be up to4K resolution for the time being,And in terms of video encoding specifications, users can choose AV1、HEVC and AVC encoding formats,You need to open a member to watch。 Note: The above video screenshots are taken from the 8K short films of the "4K Film and Television HDR" channel and the "K-Photography" channel respectively, and interested friends can find and watch
Here we briefly compare the 8K video specifications supported by the YouTube platform and the Bilibili platform. First of all, in terms of video resolution, they are all 8K UHD, which is 7860×4320. The second is in terms of HDR support,Both platforms can supportHDR,But only the YouTube platform supports8K/HDR,Station BHDRThe true color mode only supports4K UHD resolution,It's a pity。 Thirdly, in terms of video encoding format, the YouTube platform uses AV1 encoding, and the Bilibili platform allows users to choose AV1, HEVC and AVC encoding formats, and Bilibili is relatively more compatible. Finally, there is the difference in viewing methods, the YouTube platform is completely free to watch, and there is no need to open a special membership, while station B needs to open a "big member" to turn on8K ultra-high definition. As for the actual viewing difference in specific picture quality,If it's watching8KThe film source,There is not much difference in actual viewing,But if it's watching8K HDRfilm source,Because station B doesn't support8K HDR,It will forcibly turn offHDR,Watch on HDR equipment,The brightness of the whole picture will drop significantly,I hope station B can add the option of 8K HDR as soon as possible。
Among online streaming services, it is almost certain that AV1 will be the mainstream video coding format in both domestic and foreign markets, and whether it will be compatible with H.266 VCC and other higher compression efficiency encoding technologies in the future remains to be verified by the market
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To be continued