2021 World Ultra High Definition Video (4K/8K) Industry Development Conference held in Guangzhou

From May 8 to 10, the 2021 World Ultra High Definition Video (4K/8K) Industry Development Conference, co-hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration of Radio and Television, China Media Group, and the People's Government of Guangdong Province, was held in Guangzhou. On May 9, Li Xi, Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, attended the opening ceremony, Xiao Yaqing, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Ma Xingrui, Governor of Guangdong Province, Meng Dong, Deputy Director of the State Administration of Radio and Television, and Jiang Wenbo, a member of the editorial meeting of China Media Group, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Xiao Yaqing pointed out in his speech that the industrial economy is stable and improving, and new momentum and new formats are constantly emerging. New formats such as ultra-high-definition video are particularly outstanding: in creating an engine for the growth of emerging industries, 4K ultra-high-definition TVs account for more than 70% of the market, 8K TVs are accelerating penetration, and a number of domestic cameras, editing and broadcasting systems have been industrialized and put into use; in promoting industrial digitalization, ultra-high-definition video, 5G, and artificial intelligence are accelerating integration and innovation, creating new scenarios in the fields of culture, education, entertainment, telemedicine, and industrial control, and forming a number of typical cases; in meeting the people's needs for a better life, multiple ultra-high-definition channels have been launched, 8K channels have started construction, and IPTV 4K special zone program resources are constantly expanding. Free perspectives, 360-degree panoramic views, immersive videos, etc. have brought consumers a new experience.

Xiao Yaqing stressed that the world today is undergoing a major change that has not been seen in a century, and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is developing in depth. my country's development is still in an important strategic opportunity period. Ultra-high-definition video is a new round of generational evolution of video technology after analog, standard definition and high definition. It is an important development direction of the new generation of information technology today, along with 5G and artificial intelligence. Accelerating the development of the ultra-high-definition video industry can directly drive the overall replacement of the industrial chain such as production and broadcasting equipment, terminal products, display panels, and chips, promote breakthroughs in digital technology innovation, drive the construction of "dual gigabit" new infrastructure, promote content prosperity and application innovation, and form a trillion-level emerging industry cluster, which is of great significance for promoting the construction of a new development pattern with the domestic big cycle as the main body and the domestic and international double cycles promoting each other.   

Ma Xingrui pointed out that Guangdong Province has listed the ultra-high-definition video industry as one of the 10 major strategic pillar industry clusters, and has taken the lead in issuing a series of industrial support policies to accelerate the construction of the National Manufacturing Innovation Center, the provincial ultra-high-definition video industry park and the 4K TV pilot demonstration city, and opened the largest number of 4K ultra-high-definition TV channels in the country, becoming the first ultra-high-definition video industry development pilot zone in the country. In 2020, the operating income of Guangdong's ultra-high-definition video industry was about 600 billion yuan, and the output of 4K TV sets by key enterprises exceeded 33 million units; currently, the number of 4K users in the province has exceeded 24 million, accounting for 70% of the total TV users, and the length of 4K programs can exceed 30,000 hours, which is 6 times that of the end of 2017. 2021 is the first year of the "14th Five-Year Plan". Guangdong Province will vigorously promote the innovative development of the ultra-high-definition video industry, continue to make efforts in terminal manufacturing, network construction, content supply, standard setting, industrial ecology, etc., promote the deep integration of 4K/8K technology with medical, education, industry and other industries, and strive to create a trillion-level strategic industrial cluster with global competitiveness.

Meng Dong said that ultra-high-definition video technology is accelerating its penetration into various fields of the economy and society, and is increasingly becoming an important engine for building a modern economic system and cultivating new development momentum, and an important support for promoting the development of smart radio and television and building a cultural power. In the next step, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television will continue to promote the innovative application of ultra-high-definition video from three aspects to help my country's ultra-high-definition video industry develop with high quality. First, we will enrich the supply of content related to ultra-high-definition and high-tech videos to meet the new needs of the people for a better life. Second, we will take the opportunity of the ultra-high-definition broadcast of the Winter Olympics to carry out research and application of new technologies for ultra-high-definition and high-tech videos. Third, we will accelerate the improvement of the ultra-high-definition and high-tech video industry ecology with the "14th Five-Year Plan" as the guide.

Jiang Wenbo said that on February 1, China Media Group successfully launched the 8K UHD TV channel broadcast test, and achieved the world's first 8K UHD TV live broadcast in the 2021 Spring Festival Gala, becoming a milestone in the development of the UHD video industry. In order to further promote the application of the results of the 8K UHD TV channel broadcast test, the China Media Group communicated closely with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration of Radio and Television, and jointly proposed the idea of ​​building an 8K UHD TV public service platform. The first is to launch an 8K UHD TV channel and access the network and households through IP multicast to meet the needs of the general public to watch 8K UHD TV at home. The second is to set up an UHD industry project of "hundreds of cities and thousands of screens". According to the requirements of dense traffic and beautiful humanistic environment, 8K UHD large screens will be selected and built in the central squares of each city to form an 8K UHD large screen transmission matrix.

The opening ceremony also included a signing ceremony for the UHD Video Industry Investment Fund Investment Letter of Intent, the launch ceremony of the 4K/8K theater of the China UHD Digital Documentary Image Museum, the domestic 5G UHD video broadcast vehicle, the UHD video trading platform, the demonstration launch ceremony of the HDR Vivid live broadcast application, and the launch of the "100 Cities, 1,000 Screens" 8K UHD video landing promotion event, etc., which concentrated on displaying the latest achievements of the conference in the fields of investment support, demonstration and guidance, and technology transformation. Among them, the "100 Cities, 1,000 Screens" 8K UHD video landing promotion event is aimed at the broadcast needs of the Winter Olympics. Relying on the construction of the 8K official channel by China Central Radio and Television, various places are organized to set up 8K large screens in public places to show high-quality 8K content, driving the coordinated development of all links in the UHD video industry chain. 

In the opening speech session, Chen Zhongyue, general manager of China Unicom, Li Dongsheng, founder and chairman of TCL, Li Zixue, chairman and executive director of ZTE Corporation, Wang Rui, global vice president and general manager of Intel China, and Zhang Li, president of China Center for Information Industry Development, delivered keynote speeches.

The theme of this conference is "Ultra-HD Vision, Colorful Life". In addition to the opening ceremony, the conference also held seven theme forums, several corporate press conferences, supply and demand matching talks, project roadshows, etc., and simultaneously held product technology trade shows, e-sports competitions, 8K movie screenings and other experience activities.

"Transactionality" is a highlight of this conference. Through platform construction, centralized display, support for industrial clusters and other methods, it will open up business opportunities for participating companies and improve the effectiveness of the conference.

The conference launched a series of trading promotion and service platforms, including the UHD Video Property Rights Trading Platform and the UHD Video Innovation Product Technology Trading Library. Among them, the UHD Video Trading Platform is the first platform in the country that focuses on UHD video property rights trading. Through the authorization of UHD video standards, the trading of scientific and technological achievements and copyright content, it enriches the supply of UHD video content and product technology upgrades, and promotes the implementation of major projects and the improvement of the industrial chain. The conference also held a signing ceremony for the strategic cooperation agreement between the Guangdong Ultra HD Video Front-end System Innovation Center and the Baiyun District Government and joint units, a new product launch of 4K @60Hz UHD video streaming, a new product launch of Sharp China 8K solutions, an UHD cutting-edge technology experience exchange meeting and a promotion meeting for Huaguoshan UHD Town, an UHD video industry investment and financing forum, and many other investment roadshows and supply and demand matching meetings, providing a circulation and trading platform for UHD products, solutions, projects and other elements.