December 31, 2006 was marked by another global first: a Super Hi-Vision feed of the 57th Kohaku Uta Gassen (NHK's annual "Red & White Song Battle" which is the most-watched TV event of the year in Japan). The show was relayed long-distance over an IP network from the Tokyo venue and displayed on a giant 450-inch screen in an Osaka studio. There, members of the public enjoyed ultra-realistic picture and sound reproduction equivalent to a VIP seat at the actual live event.

This live feed made use of a codec developed by NHK for efficient transmission and broadcast of Ultra High Definition TV signals. The encoder compresses the video signal from approximately 24Gbps down to 180-600Mbps and the audio from 28Mbps to 7-28Mbps. The reduced bit rate makes it possible to transmit the signal and to record even an event of long duration like Kohaku Uta Gassen.

Codec and IP network Transmitter (Tokyo)

A public viewing at the Osaka Broadcasting Center