NHK Research Arm To Be Honored by Broadcasters

The research arm of Japanese public broadcaster NHK will receive the IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) International Honor for Excellence, which is the highest honor that the organization bestows.

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The award recognizes an individual or organization for fostering the relationship between technology and creativity in the broadcast, movie or media industries.

James Cameron, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Attenborough, Aardmann Animation, BBC Natural History Unit, and Olympic Broadcast Services’ managing director Manolo Romero are among the previous recipients of the award.

NHK Science and Technology Research Laboratories (STRL) -- which was formed in 1930 -- has been credited with pioneering HDTV and introducing the world’s first direct-to-home satellite broadcast service.

Current research includes Super Hi-Vision, a developing broadcast format that features a staggering 16 times more resolution than today’s HDTV, together with 22.2 channel surround sound. Super Hi-Vision will be tested by NHK and BBC at the London Olympics.

NHK is also working with broadcasters to launch an experimental service, Hybridcast, which synchronizes content on a tablet with the program on television.

The International Honor for Excellence will be presented Sept. 9 at a ceremony during the 2012 IBC Conference in Amsterdam.