UHD SPAIN, STAR OF THE 4K HDR SUMMIT 2025: PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF ITS SURVEY ON UHD AND PROMOTES A FUTURE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION

• Víctor Sánchez, president of UHD Spain, participated in the summit’s opening session, highlighting the growth and projection of the association, which presented the results of its own survey conducted in 2025 focused on the knowledge and perception of Ultra High Definition among Spanish viewers.
• One of the key moments of the 4K HDR Summit 2025 was the panel featuring the presidents of UHD Spain, Ultra HD Forum Italia and Forum Audiovisuel Numérique (FAVN), which announced the start of joint work to create a European UHD association.
• The opening day was marked by an emotional posthumous tribute to Ricardo Medina and José Manuel Menéndez, two key figures in the development of Ultra High Definition in Spain, whose professional and personal contributions were unanimously recognised by those in attendance.
• UHD Spain also held its annual General Assembly, in which almost all of its members participated and the lines of work for the new projects for 2026 were established.

UHD Spain played a leading role in the 4K HDR Summit 2025, held from 11 to 14 November in Seville, where it participated very actively in the two days of the event. Almost all of our members attended the event, together with the Board of Directors headed by our president, Víctor Sánchez, who opened the summit by highlighting the growth and projection of the association.

Víctor Sánchez highlighted the growth of UHD Spain, an association that “had the vision to commit to UHD when it was still just an idea” and which today can be considered a success story, with a long road ahead. In 2026, UHD Spain will celebrate its fifth anniversary, a milestone that further reinforces, if possible, the importance of the association in promoting Ultra High Definition. This will be a key year, as it will be the moment when the two main private television stations in our country, , follow the path that Radiotelevisión Española began in February 2024 with the start of regular broadcasts in Ultra High Definition.

Víctor Sánchez, President of UHD Spain, during the eleventh edition of the 4K HDR Summit.

In his greeting, the president of UHD Spain also highlighted the progress made in internationalisation, thanks to collaboration with associations in Italy, France and other countries. For its part, in light of the recent results of a survey revealing a “general lack of awareness of UHD” in our country, the association is preparing a series of informative content for 2026 to clearly show the improvements that this technology brings. These materials will link to other ongoing projects, such as explainers, the White Paper and work on technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence.

Victor Sanchez insisted that the switch to UHD is essential because it allows for more efficient use of the spectrum, improves visual and sound quality, and increases viewer engagement. He also pointed out that major events with millions of viewers find in broadcasting “the only way to guarantee a quality that other platforms cannot offer: free and accessible to all”. This model, “complementary to future technologies”, ensures a solid and efficient path for the sector.

Towards a European UHD association

One of the key moments of the 4K HDR Summit 2025 was the panel featuring the presidents of UHD Spain, Ultra HD Forum Italia and the Forum Audiovisuel Numérique (FAVN), which announced the start of joint work to create a European UHD association.

From left to right, Jacques Donat-Bouillud, Director of France Télévisions and President of the Forum Audiovisuel Numérique (FAVN); Víctor Sánchez, Director of Media and Operations at TVE and President of UHD Spain; and Tonio Di Stefano, President of Ultra HD Forum Italia, during the eleventh edition of the 4K HDR Summit.

Víctor Sánchez, Director of Media and Operations at TVE and president of UHD Spain; Jacques Donat-Bouillud, Director of France Télévisions and president of the Forum Audiovisuel Numérique (FAVN); and Tonio Di Stefano, President of Ultra HD Forum Italia, led a panel discussion on the present and future of UHD in Europe, in which they agreed on the “need to be united and jointly promote the implementation and advancement of Ultra High Definition on the continent”. In this regard, they announced that the three associations will work together to create a European association to promote UHD technology in Europe.

First presentation of the study on awareness of UHD in Spain

During the event, UHD Spain presented the results of its own survey conducted in 2025, which focused on Spanish viewers’ awareness and perception of Ultra High Definition. Xavi Redón, vice-president of UHD Spain, presented this study, which found that “the concept of UHD generates confusion” among users, for whom “the concept of 4K (75% of respondents) is the best known”. From the same sample, the web lso found that “65% of respondents have their sofa less than 3 metres from the television, which is 44″ or larger”, leading to the conclusion that Spaniards have a “good environment and good conditions to enjoy UHD”.

Xavi Redón, Vice-Chairman of UHD Spain, during the 4K HDR Summit, during the eleventh edition of the 4K HDR Summit.

The vice-president of UHD Spain moderated the panel discussion entitled ‘UHD comes to Spanish regional television stations‘, which examined how television stations such as Canal Sur, EiTB, Televisión de Galicia and Telemadrid are tackling the future of UHD television, the first simulcast broadcasts and the technical challenges posed by this technology. Pedro Espina, Technical Director of RTVA, lamented the lack of resources and spectrum that prevent greater deployment of UHD on regional television stations. Amaya Remón, Deputy Director of Engineering at EiTB, a channel that broadcasts in UHD via HbbTV, advocated “having the entire value chain ready for when the spectrum opens up”. For her part, Sara González, Director of Technological Support at Televisión de Galicia, the only regional broadcaster that simulcasts in UHD via DTT, added “the complexity of maintaining simulcast”. Finally, José María Casaos, Technical Director at Telemadrid, pointed out that, without underestimating UHD, the idea of Madrid’s regional television “is to produce native content in HDR, which is also complex, but not as much as 4K in terms of resources”.

From left to right, Pedro Espina, Technical Director of RTVA; Amaya Remón, Deputy Director of Engineering at EiTB; Sara González, Director of Technological Support at Televisión de Galicia; and José María Casaos, Technical Director at Telemadrid, during the eleventh edition of the 4K HDR Summit.

Tribute to Ricardo Medina and José Manuel Menéndez

The opening day was marked by an emotional posthumous tribute to Ricardo Medina and José Manuel Menéndez, two key figures in the development of Ultra High Definition in Spain, whose professional and personal contributions were unanimously recognised by those in attendance.

Members of the Board of Directors of UHD Spain present a plaque to María Medina, Managing Director of Medina Media Events and Executive Director of Medina Media Global, and Sonsoles Medina, Director of Operations at Medina Media Global, in recognition of the work and career of their father, Ricardo Medina, ideologist and founder of UHD Spain.

Emili Planas, member of the Board of Directors of UHD Spain, gave a moving speech about Ricardo Medina, the ideologist and founder of UHD Spain in 2021, in which he recalled meeting Ricardo at the first edition of the 4K Summit, a moment that marked a turning point in his career: “From that day on, I stopped working in the shadows and started talking about 4K, HDR and all that stuff.” He highlighted Ricardo’s many facets: the journalist “who spent his whole life with clean shoes”, in reference to Luis del Val’s phrase; and the tenacious entrepreneur who promoted projects with consensus, as well as the “troublemaker Ricardo”, capable of sowing ideas such as UHD Spain in informal conversations, always convinced that sharing knowledge adds value to the entire sector.

The CTO of Grup Mediapro underlined Ricardo’s decisive impact on audiovisual innovation in Spain, stating that “we owe a large part of our current position at the forefront of 4K and HDR to him.” He recalled how the vision that inspired the 4K Summit helped guide the steps of companies such as Mediapro and place the country at the international forefront. From technical details such as the reproduction of grass colour in HDR to the consolidation of a collaborative ecosystem, Ricardo left a professional and human legacy that will continue to be missed: “Those of us who knew him take with us an example and an admirable way of working.”

For his part, Pere Vila, honorary president of UHD Spain, gave an emotional speech about José Manuel Menéndez, whom he described as “passionate about teaching, technology and innovation,” as well as a colleague and friend who was always willing to listen. He recalled their first meetings in Zaragoza, working on pioneering high-definition projects, and how José Manuel threw himself into every initiative: from the Ibero-American courses on DVB at Menéndez Pelayo University, where “he even worked during the summer,” to the implementation of HbbTV at RTVE, when “he transferred all the technology to us without asking for anything in return.” He also highlighted his involvement in the arrival of Ultra High Definition, making all the resources of the Polytechnic available to everyone and dedicating entire days to experimental broadcasts.

Miguel Ángel Cristóbal, member of the Board of Directors of UHD Spain, collects the plaque in honour of Professor José Manuel Menéndez on behalf of his family.

Vila also recalled his decisive role in UHD Spain, always saying yes when presented with a challenge, including the coordination of the White Paper, a task he undertook “with incredible patience” despite the complexity of managing contributions from all members. In every project — whether it was the university chair, work on 5G or more everyday consultations — José Manuel demonstrated professionalism, efficiency and enormous generosity, answering every call and listening respectfully even to the most unlikely ideas. “He leaves us with a positive legacy, a job well done and unforgettable memories,” concluded Vila, emphasising that, for him personally, José Manuel leaves a void that cannot be filled.

UHD Spain also held its annual General Assembly during the 4K HDR Summit, in which almost all of its members participated and the lines of work for new projects for 2026 were established, among which the creation of informative content to clearly show the audience the improvements brought about by Ultra High Definition stands out as a driving force.

About UHD Spain

UHD Spain is a non-profit association created on 26 January 2021 to promote Ultra High Definition (UHD) in Spain. It currently has 35 members: Agile TV, Ametic, Ateme, Atresmedia, Axión, Canal Sur, Canon, CCMA, Cellnex, Cires21, COITT, Dolby, Fenitel, FORTA, Fraunhofer, Grup Mediapro, Gsertel, Henneo, Hispasat, Hurí, Lavinia, Medina Media, Rohde & Schwarz, RTVE, Sapec, Synamedia, Tedial, Telecom CLM, Televés, TRedess, TVU Networks, UPM, Uteca, Vestel and Video-MOS.