MIIT official vows intensified efforts in sector, urges bigger role for leading firms

China will ratchet up efforts to develop ultra-high-definition videos and mull a series of new policies to promote the high-quality development of the video industry, with a focus on enriching application scenarios of UHD videos and bolstering the integration with a wide range of industries, officials and experts said.

The total scale of China's UHD video industry exceeded 3 trillion yuan ($431.6 billion) by the end of last year, according to a white paper released by the Beijing-based China Center for Information Industry Development during the World UHD Video Industrial Conference 2023, which was held last week in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Currently, eight 4K UHD TV channels and two 8K TV channels have been launched across the nation. UHD is a term that includes two video resolutions — 4K and 8K — with 8K resolution an image or display with a width of about 8,000 pixels, currently the highest UHD resolution in digital television and digital cinematography.

China has made significant progress in developing UHD video technology in recent years, with breakthroughs and industrial applications achieved in 8K UHD cameras, 8K monitors, 8K imaging sensors and optical lenses, the white paper said.

It added that the in-depth integration of UHD video with 5G, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and other new-generation information technologies has spawned a large number of new scenarios, new applications and new models, becoming an important driving force for bolstering the digital transformation of various industries.

China will step up policy support and roll out new measures to boost the development of the video industry, said Zhao Zhiguo, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Heightened efforts should be made to give full play to the role of leading enterprises to establish a UHD industrial ecosystem and build up differentiated video industry clusters with distinctive features across the nation, Zhao noted.

He also called for more push to accelerate the upgrade of industrial chains, promote the digitalization of broadcasting, television and video production, deepen the integration and application of video technology in key fields, as well as expand international exchanges and cooperation.

The ministry has issued a slew of policies to support the UHD industry, and sped up the construction of gigabit networks, digital centers and other new infrastructure.

Zhao added that China has taken a global lead in producing 5G-powered 8K video content and UHD videos have accelerated integration with 5G and AI technologies, with broad applications in sectors like manufacturing, culture, education, entertainment, healthcare and intelligent transportation.

China is at the global forefront of the semiconductor display sector, which is a key link of the global UHD industry, accounting for more than 70 percent of global large-sized liquid crystal display output, ranking first around the world, said Wang Cheng, chief operating officer of Chinese home appliance giant TCL Technology Group, adding that the country has become the world's largest panel manufacturing base.

"At present, China's economy is gradually recovering and consumption is picking up rapidly. The UHD industry will usher in a new stage of development, buoyed by the speedy growth of vehicle-mounted displays, foldable smartphones, the metaverse, smart healthcare and smart retail," Wang said.

Wang called for establishing UHD industry alliances to safeguard the stability of the semiconductor display industrial chain and making breakthroughs in key technologies, materials and equipment.

Takeshi Yoshida, president of Sony (China) Ltd, said: "As we enter a new era of digital networks, AI and UHD, Sony hopes to continue assisting China's UHD video industry to flourish through its own technology, products and industry experience."

Yoshida said the company has formed complete solutions in the fields of professional, high-quality shooting and editing, low-latency transmission, high-end large-screen displays, and mobile and home audio-visual entertainment.

"In the strategically significant Chinese market, Sony is committed to working closely with all partners to continually introduce innovative and high value-added technologies, products and solutions that meet the expectations of the Chinese market and industry," he added.

Dong Min, deputy secretary-general of the China Video Industry Association, said the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the deployment of superfast 5G technology has made the transmission of 8K content possible and bolstered the sales of 8K TVs and 8K-related content production.

5G wireless telecommunication technology can solve content transmission, compression and decoding problems for 8K UHD displays and provide solutions for various fields covering entertainment, medical imaging, broadcasting, security monitoring and remote education, said Ai Weiqi, research manager of consumer electronics at Beijing-based market consultancy All View Cloud.