Executive Perspectives: Sony's Deon LeCointe on the Road Ahead in Sports Production HDR, slo-mo replay have captured the attention of the market By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Friday, January 5, 2018 - 11:48 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Sony Electronics heads into 2018 looking to serve up new technologies to the sports-production marketplace, but the market also continues to embrace the company's recent innovations, particularly the high-speed and ultra-high-speed recording capabilities of the HDC-4300, HDC-4800, and HDC-P43 camera systems.
High frame rate up to 480 frames per second [on the 4300] and also up to eight times in 4K on the 4800 are huge topics, as well as HDR, primarily 1080p HDR, says Deon LeCointe, senior manager, IP production technology and sports solutions, Sony Electronics Professional Solutions Americas. A lot of our customers have become accustomed to having high frame rate at every camera position with the 4300, he adds. With HFR at every angle, the producers have a different way of telling the story. Shots in HFR can change the dynamics of the game as it helps referees, and viewers can feel the emotions of the players and fans.
Deon LeCointe
Also generating buzz among customers is HDR, in particular HDR coupled with 1080p. That isn't to say that there is not still interest in leveraging 4K and HDR simultaneously for various events. It is just that the current inability of broadcasters to deliver 4K signals to the home has given strength to the 1080p/HDR-production movement.
Everyone is putting their toe in the water, and there are now two or three refined HDR workflows as we have done testing on golf, football, basketball, and even regional sports shows, says LeCointe. The video shaders, for example, can shade in SDR, and then the HDR tracks, which keeps it simpler for the shaders and the overall workflow. If you make it super technical and have to shade in both, HDR would never be adopted. So the techniques are firming up. The big question now is delivery to the home.
The HDC-4800, which offers ultra-high-frame-rate recording, has also made inroads into the marketplace. It has been used on Super Bowls, the NBA Finals, and the World Series and is now part of every primetime NFL game.
It has been a dynamic shift, notes LeCointe. Customers really appreciate the quality of the signal and also the fact that it integrates with the Sony environment and the rest of the infrastructure.
Also, important to HDC-4800's success is that a single replay operator can have access to four cameras. And, given its zoom capabilities, the replay team can dive into a 4K image and extract a high-quality and clear close-up shot of a critical play or moment.
The use of the camera on NHRA productions exemplifies its strengths.
It is such a part of their storytelling, LeCointe notes. It offers the dynamic range so they can look right into the cockpit of the cars and make the drivers part of the imagery.
A crash in October and the dramatic footage captured using the 4800 demonstrate the kind of detail that can be delivered to viewers:
Futureproofed
Increasingly high-end cameras from Sony and other manufacturers are making use of software-based licenses that can allow a camera owner to add and disable such features as 4K, HDR, and high-speed recording as needed.
With the 4300, they can license 4K and/or high frame rate; we want the camera to be as flexible as possible, LeCointe explains. Today, they can do a show in high frame rate, and then tomorrow, if they need just 4K for an entertainment show, they can do that.
Increasingly, he adds, customers are taking advantage of the weekly option rather than going all-in with a permanent license.
One advantage is, it allows the producer to see what it costs to do the event [in 4K] rather than getting pressured, he explains. It's a safe bet from so many different aspects and is the Swiss Army knife of cameras and is essentially the same price as the last-generation Sony camera system.
The HDC-4800, meanwhile, also has found a role in productions. LeCointe points to its use on NHL coverage as well as on NFL coverage on CBS, NBC, Fox, and ESPN.
It's also seeing use on entertainment shows like the Red Carpet Show at the Emmys, he adds, and we are hearing it will be used at the Oscars next year.
Also making news last year was Sony's launch of the HXCU-F80 camera, which targets those who are okay with producing in 1080p/60 and then relying on upconversion for 4K needs. LeCointe says it is important for second- and third-tier sports to have an option. 1080p is the bare minimum for the lower end of the market, and the F80 meets that growing demand.
Embracing IP
The move to IP has been core to Sony's plans, especially now that SMPTE has ratified the ST 2110 standards. According to LeCointe, the Sony team is getting a lot more questions about implementing a 2110-based system, and the still-to-be implemented standards for Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS) protocol and device discovery will be important to getting Sony cameras and other equipment into an IP environment.
He points to Sony's latest camera-control unit (CCU), which is based on SMPTE 2110, as the way forward for the company.
It foreshadows our catalog of products and has HDR support and leverages IP support for IP-based live production workflows, he says. Customers were fearful of hardware that wasn't futureproof, but now manufacturers can start building solutions with products that will hit the market in 2018. We are working directly with SMPTE and ITU to help get 2110 to market.
The move to IP-based workflows and transport is opening a new era of sports production, in which production teams can be more diverse geographically. The front-bench team can be located thousand
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
16/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: FUJIFILM Execs on GFX ETERNA 55 Camera, Importance of Shallow-Dept...
16/10/2025
Squash's Most Ambitious Broadcast Production To Be Deployed at Comcast Busin...
16/10/2025
Main Street Sports Group Inks Deal With Omaha Productions, Launches Original-Con...
16/10/2025
A Historic Precursor? FIFA, HBS, DAZN Offer an Inside Look at Production of FIFA...
16/10/2025
Prime Video Offers Sneak Peak at New NBA on Prime StudioThe massive 13,000-sq-ft, two-story studio features a LED regulation half court and hoopBy Jason Dachman...
16/10/2025
SVG Remote Production Forum Draws Record Crowd for Visit to PGA TOUR Studios, De...
16/10/2025
BitFire's Ben Grafchik on How Growing Cloud Workflows Are Impacting the Live...
16/10/2025
AI technology is advancing quickly, bringing both new creative possibilities and...
16/10/2025
In 2017, Imani Ellis launched CultureCon, a conference that's become a must-attend event for more than 10,000 diverse creatives and Black professionals to c...
16/10/2025
It might still be a little early to break out the tinsel and mistletoe, but Spotify's already queuing up some holiday magic. This year's Spotify Singles...
16/10/2025
Earlier this year, our in-house publishing imprint, Spotify Audiobooks, put out ...
16/10/2025
VAMPIRE has been integrated onto GM Defenses Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), providing a mobile solution to effectively and affordably counter small drone threat...
16/10/2025
The AgilePod mounted on the host aircraft....
16/10/2025
60% say infotainment systems are a critical purchasing or leasing consideration,...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its 2025 Year-End Giving Campaign, which seeks to raise donations from tax-deductible personal and ...
16/10/2025
Roku has added several new features to its user interface and operating system meant to make it easier to discover and personalize content, the company said....
16/10/2025
NEW YORK CNN has announced that its All Access subscription tier will launch in the U.S. on Oct. 28, providing audiences with a centralized destination for CNN&...
16/10/2025
Student Spotlight: Alan Villanueva The graduate student and saxophonist, who performed on Natalia Lafourcades Latin Grammy-nominated Live at Carnegie Hall alb...
16/10/2025
The XR Sports Alliance (XRSA) has announced the third cohort of members. The new members include Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Vegas Golden Kni...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its 2025 Year-End Giving Campaign which seeks to raise donations from tax-deductible personal and c...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK Australia's Nine Network and the NHL today announced a media partnership that will bring the world's premier professional ice hockey league to ...
16/10/2025
Parks Associates has released new data showing that nearly half (45%) of U.S. internet homes watch free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services and 89% of U.S...
16/10/2025
TROY, Mich. -New data from J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Study shows that residential wireless internet providers are growing...
16/10/2025
TV's most charming detective drama * Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investi...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Thailand's Legendary Outlaw Returns: Tee Yai: Born to be ...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Christmas Is Just Around The Corner: Home For Christmas Season...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Trist n Ulloa Stars in El crimen de Pazos, the New Netflix Ser...
16/10/2025
ABS Completes Redomiciliation to Dubai Development Authority as Part of Strategi...
16/10/2025
This Saturday October 18 Katja Mia will burst onto the radio airwaves for the first time as she joins 2FM. Katja will be standing in for Bl thnaid Treacy on Sat...
16/10/2025
This October, RT is delighted to support Wexford Festival Opera, Babor International Arts Festival for Children, Open House Dublin and 36 other arts and cultu...
16/10/2025
GeForce NOW is more than just a platform to stream fresh games every week - it offers celebrations for the gamers who make it epic, with member rewards to sweet...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
Executive Perspectives: Sony's Deon LeCointe on the Road Ahead in Sports Production HDR, slo-mo replay have captured the attention of the market By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
