Posted Tue Mar 8, 2016 at 03:30 PM PST by Steven Cohen
Portions of the 2016 Olympics will be broadcast in 8K to Japan and in VR globally.
The Olympic Broadcasting Services has announced plans to offer select 8K and Virtual Reality coverage for the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The 8K broadcasts will only be available in Japan, but VR coverage will be available around the world.
According to the OBS, about 130 hours of 8K Super Hi-Vision material from the game will be broadcast in Japan. Super Hi-Vision features a resolution of 7680 x 4320 and the 8K transmissions will also offer 22.2 channel immersive audio. 8K footage will include events like swimming, judo, athletics, basketball and football, along with live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies. There is currently only one 8K display available in Japan, the Sharp LV-85001, but the country hopes to use the Rio 8K broadcasts as a test for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. In addition, OBS will be testing down-converted 4K Ultra HD signals during the game as well, but it is unlikely that they will be broadcast to the public. Likewise, the company plans to experiment with wide color gamut and high dynamic range transmissions.
Beyond 8K in Japan, OBS will also be offering Virtual Reality content from the game to viewers around the world. Users with compatible headsets will be able to enjoy select footage in immersive VR, including the opening and closing ceremonies and one key event per day. VR broadcasts will be available live and on-demand, and highlights will even be viewable to users without a headset.
The 2016 Rio Olympic Games will be held on August 5 through August 21. All 7,000 hours of planned coverage will be presented in HD and 5.1 Surround Sound.
Sources: Advanced-Television, Engadget, CNET
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