Qvest Media realizes first 4K live channel infrastructure in Germany posted: 08/11/2016
Sky Sport UHD & Sky Sport Bundesliga UHD on air since October
The top match Borussia Dortmund vs. Hertha BSC Berlin on the 7th matchday of the ongoing Bundesliga season marked a new era for Sky Deutschland: In close collaboration with Qvest Media, Sky brought two new Ultra HD channels on air and broadcasted the match in Ultra HD. For the project, Qvest Media undertook the design and planning of the fully redundant system architecture, and implemented the IT-relevant system integration of the broadcast for the 4K live production infrastructure and Ultra HD broadcast management.
In order to implement Sky's new Ultra HD channels - and with a project duration of around 12 months - Qvest Media developed a fully-fledged 4K production environment with a live broadcast chain. In the first stage, the pay TV channel showed one match per Bundesliga matchday, as well as selected games of the UEFA Champions League in ultra-high-definition format on the channels Sky Sport Bundesliga UHD and Sky Sport UHD. In addition to football, other live sport events are intended to be shown in Ultra HD in the future. Christian Barth, Head of Strategy & Architecture / Broadcast Services at Sky Deutschland said: With our new Ultra HD offer, we are once again forerunners in Germany and Europe when it comes to using high-end technology to improve the audience's television experience. The 4K infrastructure that we have developed and implemented together with Qvest Media offers viewers sharper images than ever before.
Around 15 kilometres of video cable, six kilometres of network cabling and seven fully equipped 43 HE racks are needed in order to connect and provide the technology for the 4K infrastructure. Available for file and live ingest are a transfer storage from Elements and Venice servers from Rohde & Schwarz, which are connected to the Sky headquarters. As a result, all content is recorded simultaneously and independently from one another and saved in two different places. In the event of a deviation or damage due to this completely redundant system configuration, the 4K productions can be implemented and sent without interference or interruptions. During the ingest, incoming files from external sources, such as an OB vehicle, are received and recorded by Sky in the production format. Sky relies on the XAVC-I single file with a class 300 codec and a bandwidth of 500 Mbps. For the playout format Sky uses the UHDp50 standard.
The ingested material is also recorded on a nearline storage SpycerBox and Rohde & Schwarz processing applications. These have a gross capacity of over 500 hours of 4K material and serve as a central access and processing source for the Avid-based HighRes editing suites, graphic suites by Adobe and Vizrt, quality check and UHD playout. Highlight editing and slo-mos in XAVC-I single-file format are implemented via the EVS XT4K server. An EVS XFILE 3 system, which is integrated in the workflow, allows the ongoing archiving and restoring processes to be controlled and monitored.
Achieving the greatest possible level of automation for work steps and processes was an important goal of the integration. For this purpose, Qvest Media integrated and put into operation a customized and adapted ADC automation by Imagine Communications. This controls almost all components of the infrastructure and production processes. These include the video and logo server, Vizrt Media Sequencer, two fully equipped Evertz EQX routers with connection to the Lawo VSM studio control, Keyer from For-A, and the audio and video mixer.
Furthermore, Qvest Media installed an end-to-end Dolby E-capable audio processing, and integrated the internal voice communication into the Sky Riedel intercom-ring. Using Sky's operational concept, the studio and work stations provided Qvest Media with the customized Finecut studio furniture and 4K HDR class 1 monitors from Sony and Canon for reference monitoring.
Andreas Cohrs, Senior Key Account Manager at Qvest Media said: We are delighted that we were able to implement this 4K reference project together with Sky. The technical infrastructure has the newest and most modern features for an end-to-end 4K workflow. At the same time, the project shows that a fully 4K-based infrastructure was able to be implemented in an economically viable manner on a large scale and for live usage.
The cooperation between Sky and Qvest Media will continue once the project has been completed. Therefore, the engineering teams of both companies will maintain close ties for technical-service support and work together on the further development of infrastructure.
About Qvest Media
Qvest Media is a world leading systems architect in the fields of broadcasting and media technology, spezialising in the television, media and telecommunications industries. The company has locations in Cologne, Berlin, Munich, Dubai and Singapore with a team of over 180 employees. With a powerful spectrum of services consisting of consulting & development, systems integration and service & support, Qvest Media offers 360 expertise in the design, development, implementation and operational support of media technology infrastructures. With its business unit professional products, Qvest Media has specialized in the selection and distribution of AV and broadcasting IT products. Its partner network in this field includes the most innovative and important hardware and software manufacturers. Qvest Media is also one of the biggest suppliers of dry-hire equipment and systems solutions for live broadcasting of events, sports and entertainment. Today, Qvest's customer base includes eminent international broadcasters, telco providers and media networks such as ARD and ZDF, Sky, RTL, Al Arab, SRG, Al Jazeera, MediaCorp, beIN SPO
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Qvest Media realizes first 4K live channel infrastructure in Germany posted: 08/11/2016 
