NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories (STRL) hosts open house 2025

The NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories (STRL) will host its annual Open House from 29 May to 1 June 2025 at its facilities in Setagaya, Tokyo. Admission is free. Established in 1930 as Japan's only research institute dedicated to broadcasting technology, NHK STRL has led innovations in satellite broadcasting, high-definition television, digital broadcasting, and 4K/8K satellite broadcasting. As Japan marks 100 years since the start of radio broadcasting and NHK prepares to launch its new Internet-based broadcasting service on 1 October 2025, the 2025 Open House comes at a historic turning point.

This year's theme, "Expanding, connecting, and deepening your experience," reflects STRL's aim to broaden media accessibility and enhance people's engagement through immersive and realistic content. The exhibition will feature 18 items that highlight the current state of STRL's R&D towards achieving its updated "Future Vision 2030-2040." Visitors can explore a variety of technological breakthroughs such as immersive content experiences, harmonised audio and video operations, volumetric audio production, VVC multi-layer live encoding, program multiplexing and next-generation transmission technologies, as well as a scene-adaptive camera.

Other key exhibits include demonstrations of media accessibility, web-based broadcasting media that integrates broadcast and Internet delivery, and content-oriented adaptive presentation. Frontier science displays will showcase curved image sensors, deformable displays, and optical phased arrays for light manipulation. The Open House also highlights support tools for the media, including large language models built on broadcaster data, a news metadata generation system, and automatic cropping for vertical video. The full outline of exhibits, opening speech, and highlight video will be available in mid-May. Director of NHK Science and Technology Research, Mr KANDA Kikufumi extends his sincere thanks for continued support and invites all to experience the future of broadcasting at STRL.