A simulated image created by the German Bundesliga, which produces matches in HDR and Full HD. The image is intended to illustrate lower resolution, but better quality.
Camera Bundesliga/Sportcast
The production of major sporting events such as UEFA Euro 2024 and the UEFA Champions League final will be downgraded from 4K to 1080p resolution, the website FlatpanelsHD reports.
The new format that has become the favorite among distributors is called “Enhanced HD”, and is in practice 1080p resolution Check Switch 1080p resolution A video resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, also known as Full HD, which provides high image quality. with HDR (High Dynamic Range) Check Switch HDR (High Dynamic Range)A technology that provides better contrast and colors, so that the image looks more realistic..
This is despite the fact that 4K UHD Check Switch 4K UHDA resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, also known as Ultra High Definition, which provides a very detailed image. has been used since 2015 for the UEFA Champions League Final and since 2016 for the European Championships.
Compound problem
The change must be due to several factors.
First and foremost, there are technical and financial challenges associated with 4K production. UHD requires four signals to be produced and managed, which is more complex and expensive than the simpler 1080p HDR format.
4K broadcasts require four different signals from the cameras, rather than just one for 1080p, which makes it both more expensive and more complicated to offer, says Eamonn Curtin, Global Client Director at EMG/Gravity Media.
Camera EMG/Gravity Media
Eamonn Curtin, Global Client Director at EMG/Gravity Media, emphasizes in an interview with the IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) that it is more practical to handle one signal rather than four, especially in live broadcasts where reliability and simplicity are essential.
There must also be a cost issue. An upgrade to 4K equipment for the distributors is expensive, and the broadcasters do not seem to want to take the cost when they do not see a large enough interest among the viewers. According to IBC, there is not a particularly great willingness among viewers to pay extra for higher resolution.
They write that according to blind tests that have been carried out, several viewers should have wanted sharper contrast and more detail in light and dark areas in the “regular” HD version – i.e. Enhanced HD – rather than just better resolution in a 4K version.
Are you willing to pay more for 4K sports broadcasts?
More people look at small screens
Another aspect of this trend is a change in viewing habits. Many younger viewers value access and format over picture quality, and prefer to watch sports “by the minute and by the second” through social media, often in vertical format.
This has led to an increase in production aimed specifically at digital distribution, and sky-high resolution does not play such a big role.
Although 4K UHD will still be used for certain events, such as the Paris 2024 Olympics, it seems that HDR in 1080p will become the new standard for many major sporting events.
