Miranda-commiioned study on sports production confirms some aumptions, denies rs

Montreal, 2013-09-23

Miranda Technologies, a Belden Brand, a global provider of integrated solutions for production, playout and delivery systems for television broadcasters and multi-system operators, announces completion of a new study it has commissioned on sports broadcast production technology. The study, which surveyed sports production professionals at broadcast, cable and production organizations, found that the production formats used by sports broadcast professionals could see a strong shift in format preference three years from now.

These findings, and others, will be discussed during a free webinar entitled, Industry Report: Sports production at the crossroads. Is 4K UHDTV the future of sports production? hosted by Miranda and the Josh Gordon Group on Thursday, September 26 at 11:00 AM EDT. Registration is available at www.miranda.com/prod-spot/2013/24-WEBINAR-SPORT/index.html.

While this information may seem to be a confirmation of a popularly held notion, the details of the study tell a multi-layered story. The study found the most frequently used production format today to be 1080i, with a majority (54.4%) of sports production professionals reporting that they use this format most often for their work. The next most frequently selected formats were 720p and SD (standard definition) which tied for second place, each with 18.1% of respondents.

In interviews conducted for the study with sports production gurus, some expressed surprise at the low counts for 720p, especially with two of the most prolific producers of sports programming, ESPN and FOX, standardizing their operations on it. But among other cable networks, and especially among broadcasters, the use of 1080i for sports dominated. Other expressed surprise at how much standard definition television (SD) equipment is still in use. But the survey found many organizations repurposing their older SD equipment for streaming applications.

Only 7% of current respondents report shooting on 3G most often, and only 1% for 4K. But when the same sports professionals were asked what format they would anticipate building a facility or production truck with three years from now, 3G was the top choice with 33.5% of respondents; 4K was not far behind in second place at 28.6%.

In interviews, proponents of 3G cited practical reasons for their choice. A 3G production truck could handle any live format from 3G down, while there is no current 4K transmission standard. 4K advocates cautioned the wisdom of betting against progress, and expressed optimism that business models could be worked out, especially with premium services.

Webinar details:

Industry Report: Sports production at the crossroads. Is 4K UHDTV the future of sports production?

Date/Time: Thursday, September 26, 11:00 AM EDT

Registration: www.miranda.com/prod-spot/2013/24-WEBINAR-SPORT/index.html.

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About Miranda Technologies

For over 23 years, Miranda Technologies (www.miranda.com) has been a leading worldwide provider of hardware and software solutions for the television broadcast, cable, satellite and IPTV industry. Its solutions span the full breadth of television operations, including production, playout and delivery. With a wealth of experience in delivering IT-based and traditional television systems, Miranda leverages its expertise to create the highest quality solutions available and delivers, deploys and supports them with a company-wide commitment to keeping the customer first. Miranda was acquired in July 2012 by St. Louis-based Belden Inc. and is the cornerstone of its broadcast division. Belden is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of cables, connectivity and networking products for many industries including broadcast, entertainment, consumer electronics, education, transportation and industrial automation. For more information, visit www.belden.com.

About Josh Gordon Group

The Josh Gordon Group is a marketing services company specializing in the creative use of research to uncover technology trends and expand clients understanding of their customers to a new level. Our research-driven process helps organizations succeed by revealing insights about customers not previously known. More information at JoshGordon.com.

Belden is a trademark or registered trademark of Belden Inc. or its affiliated companies in the United States and other jurisdictions. Miranda, and Softel are trademarks or registered trademarks of Miranda Technologies Partnership. All rights reserved. Belden Inc., Miranda Technologies Partnership and other parties may also have trademark rights in other terms used herein.

Copyright 2013 Miranda Technologies Partnership.

LINK:	http://www.miranda.com/press/details/id/744...
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