Evolution and trends of HDTV

The evolution of scientific activity related to HDTV is summarized from its first steps to the present and future situation. The problems connected to the definition of HDTV standards are examined, and an overview of the programs of the main international standards bodies (CCIR, CCITT) is given. The HDTV systems already realized and the most important projects regarding HDTV, which include MUSE, HD-MAC, SMPTE, and various Eureka projects, are discussed. A brief overview of Italian activity concerning HDTV is reported, focusing on the CNR-Telecommunicazioni project. The HDTV coding scheme realized by CSTV-CNR is presented, and its performance on two test sequences is evaluated.<
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