Barcelona, March 4, 2026 — During MWC Barcelona 2026, the Future Audiovisual Vision Summit (FAVS) Forum, co-hosted by the UHD World Association (UWA) and the World AI Glasses Alliance (WAEA), brought together global leaders from the consumer electronics, AI, and audiovisual industries to explore the future of next-generation visual intelligent devices.
As part of the forum, UWA Secretary-General Vincent Zhang delivered a keynote speech titled “Defining the Next-Generation Audiovisual Experience Through Standards.” He emphasized that as AI glasses and other visual intelligent devices rapidly evolve, high-quality audiovisual experience is becoming a critical factor in product competitiveness.
Vincent noted that the industry currently faces challenges including inconsistent user experiences, fragmented technical implementations, and limited interoperability between hardware, software, and content ecosystems. To address these challenges, he highlighted the importance of establishing unified technical and evaluation standards to support large-scale industry growth and ensure consistent quality across devices and platforms.
UWA has been actively promoting next-generation audiovisual technologies, including HDR Vivid and Audio Vivid, to enhance immersive viewing and listening experiences across emerging devices and platforms. These standards are designed to support the evolving needs of intelligent terminals such as AI glasses, enabling richer visuals, more immersive audio, and optimized content delivery.
The FAVS Forum also gathered representatives from international organizations, technology companies, and industry associations to discuss innovation in AI-powered devices, sustainable technology development, and global ecosystem collaboration.
By participating in MWC 2026 and co-hosting the FAVS Forum, UWA continues to strengthen international collaboration and advance the adoption of high-quality audiovisual standards for the next generation of intelligent devices.
Looking ahead, UWA will continue to engage with global partners at major international events such as IFA and CES, promoting standardization, innovation, and ecosystem collaboration across the global audiovisual industry.
As spring arrives with strength and renewal, so too does a new vision for the future. On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, the UHD World Association (UWA) extends its warmest greetings and sincere best wishes to all member organizations, partners, and colleagues across the global ultra-high-definition industry.
May the year ahead bring momentum as powerful as a galloping steed, innovation rising like the tides of spring, and prosperity and well-being to all. Together, let us embrace a new era of audiovisual excellence.
Reflecting on 2025: Building Global Momentum Together
In 2025, UWA joined hands with 488 members across 23 countries and regions, collectively shaping a dynamic global ecosystem empowered by UHD technologies.
We successfully completed the Association’s leadership transition, electing the second Council, Standing Council, and executive leadership team. With 52 Council members and 13 Standing Council members, UWA has strengthened its governance foundation. A professional community of 1,000+ industry experts and 500+ standards experts continues to provide robust intellectual support for industry advancement.
Internally, we further enhanced governance standardization, issuing 35 management frameworks and significantly improving digital operational capabilities, driving higher efficiency in both decision-making and member services.
Advancing Standards, Driving Global Impact
Standards remained at the core of our mission. In 2025, UWA achieved dual breakthroughs in technology and standardization:
Audio Vivid successfully incorporated into international standard systems including ITU and IEC
Significant progress achieved for HDR Vivid within DVB and other international organizations
UWA standards continue to expand their global influence.
Expanding the Vivid Ecosystem Across Scenarios
Throughout the year, we deepened the Vivid ecosystem and extended UHD experiences beyond the living room:
Over 1 million vehicles equipped with in-car immersive audio solutions
Deployment of Vivid cinemas in 12 cities, bringing immersive audiovisual experiences to theatrical audiences
More than 100,000 hours of Vivid content
Over 5 million 3D audio tracks and thousands of audiobooks
From mobile screens to cinema giant screens, from smart cockpits to everyday entertainment, Vivid technologies are reshaping full-scenario lifestyle experiences.
Exploring New Frontiers: AI, Globalization, and Strategic Partnerships
In 2025, UWA ventured into new technological frontiers:
Established the AI TO H Working Group, promoting UHD + AI integration across home, healthcare, and education scenarios
Strengthened global collaboration with Avid, integrating Audio Vivid natively into leading professional audio production workflows
Signed strategic cooperation agreements with international organizations including Khronos Group
Conducted nearly 100 exchanges with 50+ overseas enterprises, building a truly global UHD collaboration network
Through 80+ global industry events, UWA continuously amplified ecosystem momentum. Meanwhile, our integrated multimedia communication strategy achieved 500+ million annual impressions, with cumulative brand exposure exceeding 15 billion across platforms, expanding the reach of the Vivid experience worldwide.
Looking Ahead to 2026: Elevating the Next Era of UHD
The achievements of 2025 have laid a powerful foundation for greater heights.
In 2026, UWA will continue to advance its mission of:
Technology Leadership · Standards First · Ecosystem Co-Creation · Global Development
We will:
Deepen collaborative innovation with international partners
Accelerate global deployment of UHD technologies
Strengthen standard systems to safeguard high-quality industry development
Expand cross-scenario ecosystems, empowering diverse industries and reaching broader audiences
2026 marks a new chapter of integration and acceleration for the UHD industry. Facing both opportunity and challenge, we will move forward with determination, openness, and a shared commitment to mutual success.
Together with all members and partners, we will usher the audiovisual industry into a new era of high-quality development.
Let Us Write 2026 Together
With innovation as our pen and collaboration as our ink, let us jointly draw the brilliant blueprint of the UHD industry in 2026.
Wishing you prosperity, success, and happiness in the Year of the Horse.
To further promote the integrated development of UHD and 3D immersive media industries, PengCheng Laboratory and the UHD World Association (UWA) recently co-hosted the “3D Immersive Media Technology and Applications Seminar” in Shenzhen.
The seminar featured in-depth exchanges and discussions on key technologies, standardization, application scenarios, and industrial ecosystems related to 3D immersive media.
More than 50 expert representatives from across the industry value chain attended the event. Participating organizations included PengCheng Laboratory, China Media Group (CMG), Huawei, China Mobile Migu, TCL, HiSilicon, Mango TV, ZTE, Tencent, Konka, HONOR, OPPO, VIVO, Insta360, Malanshan, LUSTER LightTech, Shenzhen Media Group, FiberHome, Sikai Garden, QingTong, Tusheng, Bohui, among others.
Gao Wen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of Peng Cheng Laboratory, delivered a video address. He noted that, as a national strategic scientific and technological force, Peng Cheng Laboratory is committed to building a national-level computing power platform and has long been deeply engaged in video coding as well as 3D immersive technologies and applications. He called on the industry to form a united force and “work together to grow and strengthen the 3D immersive technology and application industry.”
Vincent Zhang, Secretary General of the UWA, reviewed the association’s work to date in the field of 3D immersive technologies and applications. He emphasized that, as an industry organization, the core mission is to address real industrial challenges and promote the implementation of technologies, forming a complete industrial closed loop.
Wang Ronggang, Director of the Intelligent Coding Institute of the Media and Interaction Department at Peng Cheng Laboratory, systematically elaborated on the development path and frontier breakthroughs of 3D immersive media. He pointed out that immersive communication for 6G is a key driving force, and that 3D video technology is continuously evolving along a trajectory from stereoscopic vision and multi-view video to panoramic media, free-viewpoint video, and ultimately holographic video.
Currently, the industry still faces challenges such as high content production costs, massive data volumes, and difficulties in real-time processing on mobile devices. He highlighted the laboratory’s breakthrough progress in 3D video coding technologies, which can achieve compression efficiencies of up to several thousand times. Under the same visual quality, the bitrate can be reduced by approximately 90% compared with the latest international standards. Real-time interactive verification has already been completed on mobile devices, and corresponding chip prototypes have also been developed. He further noted that future media formats will evolve toward a multimodal paradigm, with video as the foundation, integrated with spatial audio, haptics, and physical attributes.
Experts attending the seminar generally agreed that 3D immersive media is at a critical stage of transitioning from technological breakthroughs to large-scale applications. Its development should be driven by application scenarios and supported by a robust ecosystem, enabling the coordinated evolution of technology, content, terminals, and business models. Establishing dedicated working groups to collaboratively advance industrial development was considered essential.
During the discussions, industry experts actively exchanged views, focusing on the following areas:
At the technical level, continued iteration of core technologies is required, along with the establishment of a standards system aligned with industrialization progress. At the content level, production guidelines, toolchains, and new technologies should be integrated to lower barriers to creation. At the terminal and consumer level, user habits should be cultivated through AR/VR/MR devices, smartphones, tablets, and televisions to ensure high-quality experiences. At the application and commercial level, continued focus on sports broadcasting is encouraged, alongside active expansion into diversified fields such as gaming, digital humans, e-commerce, mapping, and spatial intelligence, potentially through a phased development approach.
Following the seminar, a “3D Media” specialized working group, to be established under the UWA, will set up a regular communication mechanism and organize periodic thematic seminars. The group will jointly promote key technology iteration, standard development, demonstration applications, and industrial deployment, systematically addressing development bottlenecks and accelerating the growth of the industrial ecosystem.
The “Better 2026 Jiangsu TV New Year’s Eve Concert”, broadcast live worldwide from the Galaxy Arena in Macau on December 31, marked a major milestone in immersive audio broadcasting. For the first time, the concert was produced and livestreamed in Audio Vivid, bringing next-generation spatial sound to a mass audience at the turn of the year.
Designed to meet the extreme demands of large-scale live production, the audio system adopted a fully redundant, system-level architecture built around SSL Live consoles and DirectOut infrastructure. The OB final mix combined SSL Live L550 Plus, L350 Plus, and System T S400, enabling real-time 5.1.4 object-based mixing and Audio Vivid rendering for broadcast. From live sound, to OB mixing, to final encoding, the entire signal chain was unified within the same console family—ensuring tonal consistency, precision control, and reliable failover.
Audio Vivid production was carried out in parallel with traditional formats. Mix engineers monitored both 5.1.4 immersive beds and Audio Vivid binaural feeds, allowing the spatial soundfield to translate seamlessly from professional monitoring environments to consumer devices. Audio and video signals were embedded via SDI, encoded through Audio & HDR Vivid encoders, and delivered as redundant streams to the AI lychee apps for live distribution. A dedicated decoder enabled real-time confidence monitoring of the Audio Vivid livestream.
To guarantee uninterrupted performance, DirectOut PRODIGY.MP processors provided matrix-based routing and EARS™ automatic redundancy switching, extending protection beyond main outputs to include all insert paths and IEM feeds. This ensured that any console switchover occurred without audible artifacts or loss of spatial integrity—critical for immersive audio delivery.
By integrating Audio Vivid into a flagship live broadcast, Jiangsu TV demonstrated how next-generation immersive audio standards can scale from professional production to mass distribution, setting a new benchmark for live UHD and immersive sound experiences across Asia.
December 2025 — The UHD World Association (UWA) has announced an integration with Avid®, enabling support for Audio Vivid immersive mixing directly within Pro Tools ®. Co-developed by the UHD World Association (UWA) and Avid, the all-new Audio Vivid Production Suite is now fully integrated into the newly released Pro Tools 2025.12 and later versions. Designed for Pro Tools Studio and Ultimate users, the Suite provides a powerful, efficient, and intuitive toolset for immersive Audio Vivid 3D audio creation—tailored for music producers, sound designers, and post-production engineers.
Audio Vivid is the world’s first AI-powered audio codec standard, released by UWA. It provides sound artists with more powerful and efficient creative tools. They can work within a three-dimensional space, where sound objects can be precisely positioned and freely moved. With outstanding adaptability, Audio Vivid ensures playback across various environments.
The breakthrough of the 3D audio standard may seem simple but is incredibly powerful. It breaks the limitations of traditional channels by giving each sound object a unique identity, allowing sound to move around the listener, even overhead. The standard introduces compatible metadata throughout the entire ecosystem ——ensuring end-to-end consistency, preserving sound artist’s intent, and closely approximating lifelike reality, thus delivering an unparalleled immersive auditory experience.
The Audio Vivid standard has achieved significant international milestones. It has been included in the ITU SG6 BS.2493 technical report, officially adopted into DVB specifications, and released within the digital audio interface standard IEC 61937-17:2025. As of December 2025, Audio Vivid has supported over 5 million music tracks, been deployed across 30+ smart NEV models exceeding 1 million vehicles, and has certified 33 mixing studios, 58 device categories, and 601 device models.
The newly released Audio Vivid Production Suite supports a hybrid Object + Bed spatial architecture. It integrates the Audio Vivid Panner and Audio Vivid Renderer, enabling XYZ-coordinate spatial placement, binaural and speaker rendering, automated trajectories, and advanced immersion-focused production tools—massively expanding creative freedom for sound design.
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A Milestone for the Global Audio Industry
Vincent Zhang, Secretary General of the UHD World Association (UWA), said:
“The integration of Audio Vivid into the Pro Tools ecosystem marks a significant milestone, bringing a global open audio standard into one of the world’s leading professional production platforms. Our collaboration with Avid accelerates the transition of Audio Vivid from technical standardization to large-scale professional adoption, driving the global upgrade of immersive audio creation.”
Pro Tools users can now manage multiple immersive formats—including Audio Vivid—within a single session. The system automatically preserves track assignments and automation for each version and supports one-click switching and inter-format conversion. Audio Vivid supports delivery in WAV, ADM, IMF, and MP4 formats encoded with HOA or AV3A, enabling versatile high-quality spatial audio distribution.
Chris Winsor, Director of Product Management for Pro Tools at Avid, said:
“Immersive audio is shaping the future of how audiences engage with music and live experiences — Avid is innovating with UWA to give creators new tools to lead that evolution. This release builds on our set of industry-leading integrations, delivering expanded capabilities that simplify immersive mixing and speed up complex tasks, helping artists create and deliver in the widest range of formats.”
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Co-developed by UWA and Industry Partners
The Audio Vivid Production Suite was jointly developed by UWA together with its members such as China Television Information Technology, ensuring a fully end-to-end workflow without requiring users to change existing production habits. This marks the beginning of a new era of open, intelligent, innovative, and creator-friendly immersive audio production—built upon Audio Vivid’s technical breakthroughs and ease of use.
This next-generation toolset offers global content creators a powerful new foundation for expression. By removing channel-based limitations and unlocking the expanse of 3D soundfields, creators can craft richer, more emotionally compelling sound narratives.
As the motivators of UHD industry, UWA is looking forward to working with creators worldwide to unlock the infinite possibilities of immersive audio through Audio Vivid.
About the UHD World Association (UWA)
Founded in 2022, UWA is a non-profit international organization dedicated to advancing the global ultra-high-definition (UHD) audio and video industry. With a mission to optimize the ecosystem, serve the industry, drive innovation, promote applications, and strengthen global collaboration, UWA integrates technology, capital, and talent to build an open, advanced, and sustainable UHD industrial landscape.
UWA brings together leading equipment manufacturers, broadcasters, cable and satellite operators, OTT and IPTV platforms, content creators, technology innovators, and ecosystem partners to accelerate the adoption of next-generation UHD technologies through standards development, industry cooperation, and large-scale application deployment.
As of December 2025, UWA has 488 member organizations worldwideacross 23 countries and regions. Leveraging the collective strengths of its global ecosystem, UWA is committed to fostering shared growth, enabling industry-wide innovation, and propelling the UHD sector into its next stage of high-quality development.
About Avid Technology
Avid is the power behind the content that touches virtually every person on the planet. Every word, every note, every frame – every day.
Avid powers greater creators and trusted newsmakers, enabling everyone with a story to tell – from Emmy, Grammy and Oscar winners to rising talent.
Avid is sharpening the cutting edge of some of the most famous names in media production and news – from Media Composer, Pro Tools, Venue, Sibelius and NEXIS to MediaCentral and Wolftech. We’re doubling down on cloud, remote collaboration, automation and acceleration to help our customers meet changing consumer demand and shifting revenue models by working faster, smarter, together.
Avid is where everyone and everything can connect in a seamless and collaborative environment that supports the highest level of creative production and the most rigorous reporting environments.
Content moves the world – Avid powers greater creators.
November , 2025, the UHD World Association announced a major milestone for the in-car adoption of the spatial audio standard Audio Vivid: the number of vehicles equipped with the technology has officially surpassed one million units.
A Global Breakthrough: Audio Vivid Becomes One of the World’s Four Leading 3D Audio Standards
As the world’s first audio codec standard built on AI technology, Audio Vivid has joined Dolby AC-4, MPEG-H, and DTS-UHD as one of the four major global 3D audio standards, and was officially adopted as a national standard in August 2025.
Technology Breakthrough: Defining a New Benchmark for In-Car Spatial Audio
To deliver a stable and immersive listening experience in complex driving environments, Audio Vivid builds a complete solution for automotive spatial audio powered by cutting-edge acoustic processing technologies.
Key technological breakthroughs include:
Support for 7th-order HOA binaural rendering and 128-track real-time audio rendering
End-to-end codec latency reduced to below 80 ms, with binaural rendering latency further lowered to under 40 ms
A wide sampling-rate range from 32 kHz to 192 kHz, ensuring high-fidelity output even under high-speed noise conditions
On top of this robust technical foundation, Audio Vivid introduces a transformative enhancement to the in-car listening experience:
Breaking free from traditional channel-based limitations, it enables precise positioning and free movement of sound objects in 3D space
With its unique “Golden Listening Position” feature, users can select their preferred seat to optimize sound rendering, allowing every passenger to enjoy a personalized immersive audio experience
Audio Vivid also demonstrates exceptional adaptability across multiple scenarios. After undergoing extreme testing in live music festival environments, key signature capabilities—such as its distinctive high/low frequency drum separation—have been successfully migrated into the automotive use case. This innovation not only elevates music enjoyment but also allows for more accurate localization of environmental sounds, enhancing safety during driving.
Industry Adoption: Increasing Automaker Partners and Rapid Expansion
Driven by accelerating industrialization, vehicle installations of Audio Vivid have exceeded one million units, with more than ten major automakers—including HarmonyOS Smart Vehicles, Chery, Great Wall Motor, GAC, Avatr, Deepal, and Voyah—already adopting the technology.
29 vehicle models currently support Audio Vivid
Expected to expand to 35 models by the end of the year
Leveraging UWA’s network of 480+ global member enterprises, technical integration with most mainstream automotive brands has been completed, enabling a continuously expanding ecosystem.
These achievements highlight Audio Vivid’s broad compatibility across vehicle types and price ranges, setting a new benchmark for in-car audio quality.
Ecosystem Deployment: Building a Full “Standard–Content–Devices” Value Chain
On the content side, Audio Vivid has partnered with major platforms including NetEase Cloud Music, Himalaya, and Huawei Music, creating a massive catalog of:
8 million+ music tracks
3,300 hours of Audio Vivid spatial audio drama content across more than 20 popular genres (film/TV IP, parenting, mystery, etc.)
The ecosystem also enables seamless “person–vehicle–home” experiences:
Deep compatibility with smart screens, headphones, and IoT devices
Full adaptation for automotive versions of CCTV Video and Yunting, ensuring a consistent immersive experience across all user scenarios
International & Regulatory Recognition: A Chinese Standard Reaches the World
Audio Vivid has passed the IEC 61937-17 international certification and has been recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
According to Vincent Zhang, Secretary-General of UWA, the association is committed to building a comprehensive standards system across the entire audiovisual chain and accelerating the deployment of UHD technologies across all industries.
153 ecosystem enterprises now support HDR Vivid
122 ecosystem enterprises support Audio Vivid
1,675 devices have completed Vivid certification
23 color-grading studios and 29 mixing studios certified for content production
Audio Vivid has been included in procurement specifications for top telecom operators’ set-top boxes, enabling adaptation across 70+ million terminals
A Landmark Transition: From Technological Leadership to Market Leadership
With the milestone of one million equipped vehicles, Audio Vivid is building a strong technological moat for audio industry.
This audio standards are now advancing along the path of “technological innovation → scenario validation → scaled deployment → global standardization”, accelerating rapidly in the global UHD audiovisual landscape.
From November 6 to 8, the “UHD Technology Standards & Ecosystem Leadership Exhibition” of the 2025 UWA SUMMIT was held in Shenzhen, bringing together over 70 UWA member companies and industry partners. The exhibition covered the entire UHD audiovisual value chain — from content creation and encoding to transmission, display, and terminals — fully demonstrating the industry’s latest innovations in technology, standards, content, and applications.
China Media Group Pavilion: AI-Driven Media Innovation
The CCTV Technology Pavilion highlighted four major sections:
AI Media Applications: The “CCTV Listening Media Large Model 2.0” introduced 82 intelligent agents, empowering AIGC-assisted content production across the full workflow.
UHD Production Systems: Two self-developed 8K broadcast cameras have been successfully used in top international sporting events.
Cross-Screen Media Integration: Powered by the CCTV Video platform, users can enjoy high-quality, seamless experiences across devices.
AI Makeup Interaction: Generative AI enabled immersive cultural and creative experiences for visitors.
Audio Vivid Music Festival – Where Technology Meets Chinese Ancient Music
The UWA stage hosted the three-day “Audio Vivid Music Festival – Chinese Music Celebration”, blending technological interactivity with diverse musical expression. Over 5,000 visitors attended the event among 3 days, making it one of the most popular attractions of the CEIC and UWA SUMMIT.
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To ensure high-quality live broadcast performance, CTVIT established a complete Audio Vivid-based production chain — covering creation, monitoring, transcoding, and distribution.
ACE built a 7.1.4 monitoring environment using Stagetec professional equipment, ensuring precise audio scheduling and broadcasting.
China Broadnet deployed HOA 3D microphones, achieving 72 hours of stable operation, guaranteeing superior sound capture throughout the festival.
Immersive Experiences: AI + XR for Cultural Storytelling
Shenzhen Saining presented the VR immersive project “Follow the Road”, which deeply integrates AI and XR technologies through two patriotic themes — The Long March and War Heroes. The project merges interactivity and emotional storytelling, creating a new model of cultural communication that is experiential, perceptible, and emotionally resonant.
X3 Pro — the world’s smallest color MicroLED AR glasses with built-in AI;
V3 — an all-in-one 4K camera, AI assistant, and headset device;
Air 4 Pro — designed for immersive giant-screen viewing.
Unilumin’s glasses-free 3D display also attracted attention, offering striking depth perception without eyewear. By combining content + IP + hardware, their team brought the traditional Lion Dance IP “to life” through AI. These technologies are already applied in XR virtual production and immersive display solutions.
The Shenzhen Flat Panel Display Industry Association gathered brands such as RayNeo, INMO, and ROKID as a Near-Eye Display Zone, exhibiting AR, AI, and electrochromic glasses with live translation and AR video functions — drawing strong interest from both consumers and investors.
Home & Personal Terminals: Bringing Vivid Experiences to Everyday Life
The Terminal Zone showcased Audio & HDR Vivid home experiences powered by Samsung, Huawei, and other UHD TV manufacturers, alongside smart set-top boxes from China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom.
Products from Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi, HONOR, and VIVO demonstrated seamless Vivid experiences across TVs, tablets, and phones.
Major content platforms including CCTV Video, Tencent Video, iQIYI, Migu, Huawei Video, Mango TV, Bilibili, Himalaya, YunTing, Netease Cloud Music, and Huawei Music provided high-quality audiovisual content for home viewing.
BOE Zhonglian UltraClear presented digital signage and the Magic Screen AI Travel Booth, featuring narrow bezels and eye-protection technology for business displays, and AI face-swapping for tourism scenes — delivering creative, low-cost travel experiences.
Vivid Home Audio Experiences
TransAudio Technology and Hisense co-built the Audio Vivid Home Theater, designed in a 7.1.4 format with professional-grade playback and conversion systems — offering an authentic Audio Vivid experience through members’ original works.
Malanshan AV Lab, MetaSound, and XGIMI jointly created the Wireless Home Experience Zone, featuring the industry’s first integrated sound system fully supporting HDR Vivid and Audio Vivid decoding. XGIMI showcased projectors supporting HDR Vivid, promoting UHD adoption in home entertainment.
In-Car Experiences: Immersive Audio on the Move
Two vehicles — AITO M9 and Chery T11 — featured at the in-car display zone, both equipped with Audio Vivid technology. Delivering enhanced spatial and positional sound, these systems enable immersive listening powered by content from Netease Cloud Music, Ximalaya, YunTing, and Huawei Music, offering concert-level and sports broadcast experiences on the road.
Chipsets & Core Technologies
Leading semiconductor companies — HiSilicon, MediaTek, Amlogic, Rockchip, Allwinner, and ESWIN — presented next-generation UHD SoCs for TVs, decoders, and set-top boxes.
In capture equipment, BOSMA introduced the DC0300-EFP 8K broadcast camera powered by domestic imaging chips, widely used in Olympic UHD productions.
BOE Zhonglian UltraClear also displayed a domestically developed 8K channel camera with FPGA architecture and real-time color processing up to 8K 70P / 45MP, supporting low-latency, multi-camera color matching and full 8K 50P output capabilities.
Encoding, Transmission & Production Tools
Companies such as Digital Video Group, Bestv Technologies, and Norson Tech presented new encoding devices supporting H.265, AVS3, HDR Vivid, and Audio Vivid, advancing UHD distribution with higher quality, lower bandwidth, and lower latency.
The National UHD Innovation Center showcased the industry’s first 8K Audio & HDR Vivid professional decoder supporting 12-channel analog output.
In post-production tools, Blackmagic Design and FilmLight presented DaVinci Resolve and Baselight 6.0, both supporting HDR Vivid and Audio Vivid standards — offering creators powerful end-to-end workflows for color grading and mastering.
A Global Platform for UHD Innovation
This year’s UWA Ecosystem Exhibition served as a comprehensive platform for technology showcase, ecosystem collaboration, and industry dialogue. From capture to display, from terminals to content, and from home entertainment to in-car environments, the exhibition vividly illustrated the future of UHD technology — where AI, XR, and Vivid standards converge to empower diverse industries.
With the continued implementation of HDR Vivid and Audio Vivid standards and the deep integration of next-generation technologies, a more immersive, intelligent, and interconnected UHD era is unfolding.
The exhibition’s success marks another milestone in uniting the industry and accelerating the global adoption of ultra-high-definition innovations.
On November 5, the 2025 UWA SUMMIT and Member Conference main forum was successfully held in Shenzhen under the theme “Infinite Vivid, Intelligent Future.”
More than 600 participants from UWA member companies, universities, industrial partners, and overseas organizations gathered to review the year’s achievements in the UHD sector and explore new prospects for AI-driven innovation. The conference was live-streamed via CCTV Video, attracting nearly 4 million views.
Accelerating Industry Growth with AI and UHD Innovation
As a key growth engine of the digital economy, the UHD audiovisual industry is rapidly integrating AI, big data, and emerging technologies—driving transformation across media, automotive, and consumer-electronics sectors.
In 2025, UWA achieved significant results in ecosystem building, standardization, and technological innovation.
Standards: The Association has issued 75 group standards, and three national standards based on HDR Vivid and Audio Vivid were officially released, forming a complete technical framework. These standards have been adopted by ITU, IEC, and DVB, strengthening UWA’s global presence in UHD standardization.
Ecosystem: The HDR Vivid ecosystem now includes 153 partners, while Audio Vivid counts 122 partners. More than 30 vehicle models from major automakers have adopted these technologies, with cumulative installations exceeding one million units.
Applications: The standards continue to empower 4K UHD TV channels, including Shenzhen Satellite TV, Shanghai Media Group, and Mango TV. China Mobile and China Telecom have established Vivid Experience Centers and certified labs, bringing immersive UHD experiences to consumers and accelerating large-scale adoption.
Leaders Highlight Achievements and Vision for the Future
Jiang Wenbo, Executive Member of CCTV and Chairman of UWA, noted that China’s UHD industry is entering an all-media era with nationwide 4K channels and platform services. Over the past year, UWA achieved major progress in technology, scenarios, ecosystem, and international cooperation—refining the Audio & HDR Vivid systems, introducing all-IP broadcast for the “9.3 Parade,” expanding to 465 members, and hosting over 80 industry events. He emphasized UWA’s next steps: advancing standard systems, enabling multi-scenario applications, fostering an industrial community, and developing NVI all-media UHD production technology, to be demonstrated at the upcoming National Games.
Insights from Global Experts and Industry Leaders
Prof. Gao Wen, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of Peng Cheng Laboratory, presented breakthroughs in video coding, including the next-generation NGVC standard, immersive 3D video for 6G networks, and AI-driven generative coding—each set to redefine video efficiency and intelligence.
Peng Jieying, Director of Standards Division, Science & Technology Department, NRTA, interpreted national UHD policy. She noted that 2025 is designated as the “Year of UHD Development,” with 18 UHD channels on-air, 40% of programs produced in UHD, and 2.86 billion set-top boxes deployed nationwide. NRTA will continue to upgrade the entire UHD value chain and work with UWA on small-screen standards and indigenous technology promotion.
Andy Quested, Chair of ITU-R SG6C and former BBC executive, shared on AI applications in media, emphasizing its integration into UHD standardization and workflow optimization. He highlighted AI as a crucial driver for HDR advancement and outlined future standardization challenges.
Gong Bo, Director of the China Research Institute of Film Science and Technology, introduced “Film Innovation and Standard Practice,” showcasing the collaborative UWA Film Working Group and the successful deployment of Vivid technologies in cinemas across 10 cities, covering 12 theaters and multiple film titles.
Zhao Guihua, Deputy Director of CCTV Technology Bureau, explained the transition to cloud-based UHD production, AI-enabled program generation with the “CCTV Audio Large Model,” and dual-gigabit network innovation linking mobile and large screens for major live events.
Fang Qing, General Manager of TCL Smart Display BU R&D Center, addressed the need for a unified professional evaluation system for picture quality, outlining TCL’s efforts under the UWA and Vivid framework to build quantifiable, comparable industry benchmarks.
Geng Weifeng, Deputy GM of Great Wall Motor Technology Center, presented the company’s “In-Car UHD Audio-Visual Experience,” showcasing Coffee OS 3 with AI audio algorithms and HDR Vivid certified displays, and plans for next-generation AI cockpits as emotional mobility companions.
Neil Trevett, President of The Khronos Group and VP Developer Ecosystems at NVIDIA, discussed global standardization for 3DGS and UHD immersive technologies, announcing a strategic cooperation framework between Khronos and UWA to advance 3D audio-visual standards worldwide.
Li Lin, Chief Expert of China Mobile and GM of Migu Tech Management Dept., shared how AI, XR, and Full-Reality Video technologies are powering immersive UHD live broadcasts for sports such as CBA, UFC, and China Open—transforming “viewing” into “experiencing.”
Strengthening Partnerships and Ecosystem Expansion
The Summit also witnessed multiple strategic agreements and launch ceremonies:
UWA × Khronos Group signed an MOU to accelerate global standards for 3D graphics and XR technologies.
UWA × China Automotive Intelligent Technology (Tianjin) agreed to advance immersive in-vehicle audio-visual applications.
The AI to Home Working Group was launched, focusing on AI applications in healthcare, education, and sports broadcasting.
UWA × Avid announced deep technical collaboration to integrate Audio Vivid natively into Pro Tools, enhancing spatial audio production efficiency; the new version will launch in December 2025.
Recognizing Excellence and Empowering Talent
The conference honored outstanding working groups and standard leaders, revealed four honor lists—Top 10 Cases, Excellent Papers, Outstanding Projects, and Recommended Cases—featuring 78 submissions from 57 organizations. It also announced the UWA Fellow Program and Senior Expert Database, with the first certificates awarded on site.
Furthermore, UWA signed agreements with universities to establish Vivid Talent Training and Practice Centers, cultivating interdisciplinary UHD talent.
A Four-Day Global UHD Gathering
The 2025 UWA SUMMIT spanned four days, featuring over ten specialized forums and international sessions. In parallel, the UWA Ecosystem Exhibition and the Vivid Music Festival provided dynamic platforms for industry exchange and cross-sector collaboration—highlighting the vibrant momentum of the global UHD industry.
