New
Year's Greeting from
the Director-General
The
Start of Research at the
New STRL Research Complex
Osamu
YAMADA,
Director-General, NHK
Science & Technical
Research Laboratories
Happy New Year! It seems
as if the first year of
the 21st century has passed
in a flash. Following
the collapse of the IT
bubble, the global situation
has changed completely
because of the simultaneous
terrorist attacks in New
York and Washington on
September 11 of last year.
2001 was also a year that
reminded us of the increasingly
significant role of broadcasting,
which accurately and promptly
delivers news from around
the world, keeping pace
with constantly changing
situations and bringing
them into the & homes of
the public.
April 1 of this year will
mark the start of research
at our third-generation
Science & Technical Research
Laboratories research
complex. The new STRL
is the result of thorough
discussions and planning
in cooperation with the
Setagaya-ward municipal
government and local residents;
its design reflects our
will to contribute to
the community. It has
been an enormous construction
project, spanning 12 years,
including assessment and
design stages. The groundbreaking
ceremony took place in
April 1999, and the completion
ceremony in November 2001.
The entire STRL staff
is relieved to see the
building completed without
any serious accidents,
and we are happy to announce
that the official opening
ceremony is scheduled
for March 6.
Broadcasting technology
is currently undergoing
a drastic transformation.
The most significant technologies
of the last 20 to 30 years,
such as satellite broadcasting,
Hi-Vision (HDTV), digital
broadcasting, and plasma
display panels (PDPs),
are in their final research
stages. Although further
advancements in these
fields will continue for
the next 10 to 15 years,
new directions in research
are expected to define
the activities of STRL.
To this end, we have laid
out our Mid-to Long-Term
Vision: Toward the Realization
of Dreams, with the goal
of promoting it both within
and outside NHK.
The Mid-to Long-Term Vision
will focus on the following
research areas.
1.
Advanced ISDB systems
Studies on new broadcasting
services, such as human-friendly
broadcasting services,
and a service that allows
the viewer to watch the
desired program anytime
and anywhere by making
use of the digital transmission
channels for satellite/terrestrial/cable
broadcasting and communications
networks.
2.
Contents production technologies
Studies on an efficient,
effective program production
system using computers,
networks, and servers.
3.
Future broadcasting services
and their fundamental
technologies
Studies on a 4,000 scanning
line television system
with a higher sense of
reality than that of HDTV,
strain-free 3D TV, and
research on imaging, recording,
and display technologies.
Broadcasting is a cultural
activity that uses the
latest technology. This
lays a significant responsibility
upon us, as broadcasting
technology engineers;
that is, we must ensure
that as long as technology
advances, broadcasting
will also continue to
advance.
The new research complex
will be a center of excellence
(COE) for broadcasting
technology, whose researchers
will help realize the
dreams of our viewers.
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