BT Sport shows live 8K rugby demo at IBC By David Fox
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 - 14:11
Print This Story
BT Sport staged a demonstration at IBC of a live 8K broadcast to showcase what we think is coming next, said Jamie Hindhaugh, BT Sport's chief operating officer.
They had actually wanted a multi-camera production (with perhaps three or four cameras), but could only get one, an Ikegami SHK-810, as they are in such short supply and needed for testing in Japan ahead of the Olympics.
But, even getting a single camera transmission together was difficult, as there is a dearth of 8K equipment. For example, they couldn't find a suitable live graphics system anywhere, so Moov, which is the main graphics provider for BT Sport, had to build a graphics system especially for the demonstration.
The production, Premiership Rugby 7s from Franklin's Gardens, Northampton, was a normal UHD event, with 14-16 cameras, being broadcast by BT Sport, so they could also intercut with other cameras during the demonstration. The 8K camera was placed beside camera one, to give a great view of the rugby.
Fujinon provided the 8K PL-mount lens, Blackmagic Design its Atem Constellation 8K vision mixer, Appear TV the encoding and decoding, and Leader the 8K scope, with the signal carried over BT's broadcast network to the Rai in Amsterdam. There were also Blackmagic DeckLink 8K Pro cards in the graphics engine.
BT Sport used a conversion system from Astro Design to take the contribution signal from four 4K SDI quadrants through to the HDMI 2.1 input required by the 85-inch Samsung screen. The only thing that let us down was that last box in the chain, which couldn't switch on the HDR signalling [in the Samsung], but you can't force the TV into HDR mode, said Andy Beale, BT Sport chief engineer. The signal was at a 59.94 frame rate.
The single-sensor (Super35mm size) camera outputs Ikegami's own Dual Green SHV format using 3:1:1 sampling, going via SMPTE to the CCU. It comes out octo-3G, to allow the use of 3G infrastructure. It then went in to the Atem using quad 12G.
Hindhaugh thinks BT Sport can roll out some 8K production without actually launching 8K TV.
BT Sport COO Jamie Hindhaugh (left) and chief engineer Andy Beale at IBC this week
It will just be available generally under the BT Sport Ultimate banner. Indeed, that is one reason it rebranded its 4K service as Ultimate, because it's the ultimate viewing experience on whatever device you are viewing on, he said. It is now aiming to deliver whatever the best that a set or device (handheld or otherwise) can handle, so that consumers aren't faced with confusing resolution choices. Ultimate is available on a lot of different platforms already, from PlayStation and Xbox to OTT.
We master in the best format you can have and it's only constrained by your connectivity, added Beale.
He feels that 8K as a consumer format is currently further away than 4K was when we first looked at it in 2014, so the demonstration at IBC was more about what is currently possible and next they will look for opportunities to take it further. They also wanted to see what people thought of the results, and we wanted to push the envelope, he added.
BT has already started working on virtual reality in 8K, which Hindhaugh hopes to be able to offer next year, replacing its current 4K 360 service. In reality, 4K VR gives sub-HD images on the phone, added Beale, but an 8K sphere means it can actually deliver much higher resolution at less than half the bitrate, thanks to tile media encoding. This sends just what people are looking at and the immediate surrounding tiles in high resolution. It's a really compelling use case for the encoding, he said.
BT Sport is also looking at using a single 8K camera to replace a few key cameras at an event, and then taking various 4K images as crops, but it is also thinking about offering some pubs or clubs a big screen experience with the full 8K image - even if replays have to be upscaled.
North America Stories
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
17/03/2026
The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...
17/03/2026
As media organizations face mounting pressure to produce more content, faster, while maximizing value and operational efficiency, Tedial, a leading provider of ...
17/03/2026
Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics, augmented and virtual production, is launching the newest version of its platform, Brainstorm Suite 7,...
17/03/2026
Limecraft today announces the release of Limecraft 2026.2, the second platform update in its 2026 release cycle. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform ...
17/03/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, showcased its latest broadcast and V...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
QuickLink's Latest StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at NAB 202
Brie Clayton March 16, 2026
0 Comments
The Multi-platform Remote Gues...
17/03/2026
Frankenstein Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 16, 2026
0 Comments
Sonnenfeld enhances the controlled interplay between warm and c...
17/03/2026
New Voyavox from Link Electronics with Real-Time Speech-to-Text Captioning to be...
17/03/2026
Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educa...
17/03/2026
Back to All News
Fantasy Action Series Agent from Above' Puts Contemporary...
17/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Presents the Trailer for the Final Season of Turn of the Tide
Entertainment
17 March 2026
GlobalSpainPortugal
Link copied to clipb...
17/03/2026
As AI native applications scale to more users, agents and devices, the telecommu...
BT Sport shows live 8K rugby demo at IBC By David Fox 
