Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Countdown to Kickoff: How Global Production Helped Sky Italy Move Serie A to Native 4K HDR

16/09/2020

Countdown to kick-off: How Global Production helped Sky Italy move Serie A to native 4K HDR By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent

Monday, September 14, 2020 - 18:10

Print This Story

When the 2020-21 Serie A season kicks off this weekend, Sky Italy will be showing seven of the 10 games across each matchday including one per week in native 4K with high dynamic range (HDR).

Viewers in Italy, as long as they have the correct Sky Q box of course, will get to see the games in the Hybrid Log Gamma format, the backwards-compatible HDR standard that was jointly developed by the BBC and NHK.

HDR has been part of the Sky output for Serie A for a couple of seasons. The difference this year is that all the signals are native HDR with BT.2020 colour gamut. There is no upscaling.

The origins of these next generation broadcasts go back to the summer and a game between Torino and Roma on 29 July at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

That was the first Serie A game to air in native 4K with HDR. And the lessons learnt from that match, which also had an HD-SDR simulcast, shaped how all this season's matches will be covered.

The difficulty is twofold. It is not enough to create a technically perfect signal in very high definition UHD-HDR. It is also essential to guarantee quality even on the very popular lower format, HD SDR.

Global Production, part of the Euro Media Group (EMG), was responsible for the match coverage.

The typical complication of a standard football production in Italy involves the use of a large number of sources - and these all had to be updated to native HDR, because the signal entering the mixer must already be native HDR.

This goal was reached after a series of tests carried out last season and many discussions that were aimed at finding a common path for all the actors involved including producers, broadcasters and clubs, from Juventus and Roma to Infront and Sky the Italian football league itself.

In reality, an HDR live broadcast in Italy had never been done before, because the technical problems to be overcome were far from trivial.

The construction of the new workflow was led by Renato Mancini (pictured above), the chief technology officer of Global Production. He worked with Sky and the Italian Football League to decide on how to concretely carry out the entire production process.

In Italy, there is no school and there is no experience, especially in Serie A, an environment where everything is very delicate, on which all eyes are focused, and it is impossible to practice live, he says.

The difficulty is twofold. It is not enough to create a technically perfect signal in very high definition UHD-HDR. It is also essential to guarantee quality even on the very popular lower format, HD-SDR.

This is done in down-conversion from HD HDR and requires a whole series of calibrations which, if they are not perfect due to inexperience, penalise the result a lot .

Furthermore, the various vendors such as Grass Valley and Sony approach the problem from different points of view, given the complexity of the thing.

To make these new broadcasts possible, Global Production, starting in January 2020, invested heavily in not just essential changes to one of its flagship mobile vehicles, OB8, adding a huge amount of conversion and color mapping resources, but in human resources too.

Mancini continues: The problem arises from the fact that HDR is not linear and in the conversion it is not enough to insert a factor that remains constant throughout the range.

And, above all, to create serious problems is the range of brightness of the cameras, therefore the iris control. If we were to work with apertures in the typical SDR range, nothing would be seen in the simulcast in HDR.

Furthermore, the various vendors such as Grass Valley and Sony approach the problem from different points of view, given the complexity of the thing. The internal technical chains of the camera controls, very talented technicians, however, require specific training.

As a result, a new job role has been created: the HDR supervisor . Mancini describes the job as specialized and requiring a lot of preparation. This technician works from a dedicated workstation and has a complete view of both the SDR and the HDR output.

It works in the HDR range of the cameras, in the upper part of the signal, in the super white (over 100% in the SDR), and in the color zone to constantly check both signals.

In reality, in Serie A there are six outputs that must be constantly realigned with experience and sensitivity, returning an artistic range, managing the 16 cameras in native 4K-HDR with incredible nuances and details in colour, coupled with greater brightness.

By embarking on this courageous path, Mancini has made it possible to compose a sort of best practice, a workflow prototype that outlines how to handle the signals. This will be reused by the technical infrastructure in all Serie A matches this season.

The workflow was developed by Global Production in cooperation with the technical management of Sky Italy and delivered to the football league, Infront and to the tv production services, and to all the self-producers operating in Serie A.

He is very grateful to Sky for their help with this assignment.

We have to thank Sky Italy very much. They believed in the project and invested with great availability of means of production and technology at different levels, even in tests, with constant checks and feedback from the central plant.

For the graphics, Netco Sports, another subsidiary of the EMG group in Italy, and ISG, also participated in the tests, producing all the on-screen visuals and virtual mats natively in 4K UHD-HDR, perfectly the process of controlling colors, positioning, and white saturations.

All of the graphic sections had to undergo re-elaborations and adaptations, constitut
LINK: https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/countdown-to-kick-off-how-glo...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

04/07/2025

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Tadashi Nakamura, the Filmmaker Behind Third Act

By Lucy Spicer Editor's note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robe...

04/07/2025

Spotify Partners With The Reading Agency to Bring the Summer Reading Challenge to Life Through Audio

The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...

04/07/2025

Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices

Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices Brie Clayton July 4, 2025 0 Comments A New Destination for Film and Broadcast Gear at U...

04/07/2025

Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K

Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K Brie Clayton July 4, 2025 0 Comments Nature Documentaries Freeze Epic Momentsin Extrem...

04/07/2025

Create Any Planet in After Effects

Create Any Planet in After Effects Graham Quince July 4, 2025 0 Comments The Advanced 3D renderer in After Effects makes it really easy to import 3D o...

04/07/2025

Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion

Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion Simon Ubsdell July 4, 2025 0 Comments Digging into the theory of the gradient colorize process to build ou...

04/07/2025

NESN Gives Red Sox-Reds Matchup a Retro Makeover

Watching live sports on TV these days is a delicate balance for broadcasters how much information is too much?...

04/07/2025

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for July Open Meeting

WASHINGTON As Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr works to achieve his goal of a very busy, productive summer at the FCC, the agency has rele...

04/07/2025

Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SSD

Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SS...

04/07/2025

CANAL+ Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive

CANAL Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Brie Clayton July 3, 2025 0 Comments Experience MotoGP like never before as CA...

04/07/2025

Official trailer revealed for new season of BAFTA-winning Sky Original comedy Mr Bigstuff, coming 24 July

Friday 4 July 2025 Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8 Further...

04/07/2025

Join RT Radio 1 for The Pitch, a new series exploring the heart of Ireland's GAA Clubs

The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...

03/07/2025

Introducing: New Carts

For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...

03/07/2025

Introducing: Slider Drive Unit

One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit! Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit! Our i...

03/07/2025

Introducing: ARRI EVO 360

The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...

03/07/2025

Panther at BSC EXPO 2025

What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London! We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography. A huge thank ...

03/07/2025

"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode

ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...

03/07/2025

Advanced Communication Systems Unleash a Tactical Advantage in Modern Combat Operations

To achieve a true level of decisive overmatch, communication systems must be as ...

03/07/2025

Paramount's Ray Hopkins Joins Broadcasters Foundation Board

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has named Ray Hopkins, president of U.S. distribution at Paramount Global, to its board of directors....

03/07/2025

FCC Chair Carr Lays Out Infrastructure Policy Agenda

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. In his first major policy speech, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr outlined his Build America Agenda for the agency'...

03/07/2025

TV Tech's Top NextGen TV Stories of 2025

As the industry is making a major push to transition to NextGen TV and develop new businesses that will fund the next generation of broadcasting, TV Tech's ...

03/07/2025

Netflix Rolls Out AV1 Film Grain Synthesis Streams for Film Content

Despite enabling its subscribers to watch films and TV shows in the highest possible resolution, Netflix has revealed it is taking things old school with the in...

03/07/2025

FCC's Gomez, Sen. Markey, Critics Blast Paramount-Trump Settlement

WASHINGTON In response to news that Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, Democrats and other administra...

03/07/2025

Riedel Communications Unveils RefSuite Sports Ecosystem

WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications today launched RefSuite for professional sports workflows....

03/07/2025

LYNX Technik Appoints New Executive Leadership Team

WEITERSTADT, Germany LYNX Technik, a provider of modular signal processing solutions, has announced that founder and longtime CEO Winfried Deckelmann is steppin...

03/07/2025

CTA, NCTA, LPTVBA Meet With FCC to Oppose NAB's ATSC 3.0 Petition

WASHINGTON Representatives from six trade groups representing tech, pay TV, broadband, LPTV and other sectors recently met with Federal Communications Commissio...

03/07/2025

Dan Whealy Acquires Heartland Video Systems

PLYMOUTH, Wis. Dan Whealy has acquired Heartland Video Systems and will be its new owner and president, the systems integrator said....

03/07/2025

Filmmaker Jay Holben Releases The Directors Guide to Ever...

Acclaimed filmmaker, educator, and industry veteran Jay Holben has released his most ambitious work to date: The Director's Guide to Everything a sweeping...

03/07/2025

Capturing the Moment - Pruski Photographs Dyke Day LA wit...

For Los Angeles-based photographer Scout Pruski, documenting the annual Dyke Day LA is a way to honor and give back to the city's legacy queer community and...

03/07/2025

New Reinvented Chimera V-Flat Panel Frame Kit

Modular, Travel-Ready Solution Matthews Studio Equipment launches the new Chimera V-Flat Panel Frame Kit, the lightweight and modular, ultra-durable alternativ...

03/07/2025

Dalet Flex LTS Release Elevates Content Workflows with Ne...

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the release of Dalet Flex 2025.6 LTS (long-term support), introdu...

03/07/2025

Lightware launches LARA Wizard to help integrators simpli...

Lightware's LARA Wizard makes it quicker and easier than ever to set up audio-visual (AV) room automation and control configurations, ensuring anyone, from ...

03/07/2025

Alfalite obtains NCAGE and TAA certifications strengtheni...

Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has obtained both the NCAGE Code (NATO Commercial and Government Entity) and TAA (Trade Agreements Act)...

03/07/2025

WIN streamlines complex live production with nxtedition

nxtedition is implementing a new solution for WIN Network, based in its headquarters in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The nxtedition integrated platfo...

03/07/2025

ORS Group and Insys Video Technologies unite under one br...

ORS Group and Insys Video Technologies today announce the launch of a new joint brand identity: Big Blue Marble. The move reflects the evolution of a long-stand...

03/07/2025

Evergent Proves Cross-Industry Power of AI for Japanese G...

Evergent, a global leader in customer lifecycle management and monetization solutions for subscription-based businesses, today announced the successful results ...

03/07/2025

LYNX Technik Appoints New Executive Leadership Team to Dr...

LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions today announces an executive leadership transition, effective July 1, 2025. Markus Motzko has been...

03/07/2025

Chaos Releases V-Ray for Blender

Chaos Releases V-Ray for Blender Brie Clayton July 2, 2025 0 Comments Production-Proven Renderer V-Ray Arrives Natively in Blender for the First Time;...

03/07/2025

Calvin University Adds Blackmagic Replay to Broadcasts and Streams

Calvin University Adds Blackmagic Replay to Broadcasts and Streams Brie Clayton July 2, 2025 0 Comments Replay workflow joins 14 Blackmagic Design cam...

03/07/2025

Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Alpert Visiting Artist

Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Al...

03/07/2025

Get Ready for Even More Action! Netflix Has Confirmed the Third Season of the Brazilian Original Series 'Criminal Code'

Back to All News Get Ready for Even More Action! Netflix Has Confirmed the Thir...

03/07/2025

Get ready for even more action! Netflix has confirmed the third season of the Brazilian original series Criminal Code

Back to All News Get ready for even more action! Netflix has confirmed the thir...

03/07/2025

Centralized Cross-Platform Campaigns and Unified Sales Workflows with WO Fusion

In today's fragmented media landscape, advertisers expect more than just reach - they want seamless cross-platform campaigns that deliver measurable results...

03/07/2025

** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Expo 2025

** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Exp...

03/07/2025

Sky Arts Unveils New Mozart Season, Celebrating the Legacy of Classicals Greatest Maestro

Thursday 3 July 2025 David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...

03/07/2025

Sky announces 2025 Sky WNT Fund Recipients

The Sky WNT Fund supports Womens National Team players with a 30,000 bursaryThursday 3 July 2025 Sky Ireland has announced the four recipients of the 2025 Sky...

03/07/2025

GeForce NOW's 20 July Games Bring the Heat to the Cloud

The forecast this month is showing a 100% chance of epic gaming. Catch the scorching lineup of 20 titles coming to the cloud, which gamers can play whether indo...

02/07/2025

Release Rundown: What to Watch in July, From FOLKTALES to Oh, Hi!

Hege Wik and Odin appear in FOLKTALES by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institut...