Behind the scene: delivering 4K olympics games

Abstract

The Tokyo Olympic Games offered NBCUniversal and Comcast an opportunity to make a substantial leap forward in live, localized UHD broadcasts. The result was a radically different workflow, delivering Olympics content from 50+ local NBC affiliate stations in stunning 4K HDR with next generation audio. The solution shined again, a mere 6 months later, when Beijing hosted the 2022 Winter Olympic games. Built on a new software-defined IP workflow, NBC was able to dynamically switch UHD simulcast content into locally up-converted affiliate signals. The result was nationwide UHD programming live from venue, while at the same time protecting local news and advertising inventory from each of the NBC affiliate stations. When combined with the Comcast X1 platform, and delivered over the Comcast network, Comcast X1 UHD viewers were able to seamlessly transition into the UHD version of their local NBC station with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.