Time Warner Cable Sports partnered with IMS Productions on two proof-of-concept 4K tests last month.
The first test of ultra-high definition (UHDTV) broadcasting in 4K was a high school football game on Dec. 19 in California while the second took place during a Dec. 23 broadcast of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Golden State Warriors at the Staples Center.
While both of the tests were closed a press release by vendor ChyronHego, which was a participant in the tests, said both games were also produced and televised in HD on Time Warner Cable SportsNet. A spokesman for Time Warner Cable confirmed the tests and the companies mentioned in ChyronHego’s release, but didn’t provide any additional information on the 4K trial.
ChyronHego said its Mosaic XL and Lyric Pro graphics offerings were among the group of technologies chosen by Time Warner Cable Sports and IMS Productions.
For seamless creation and playout of all graphics in the two test games, IMS Productions used a customized, single-channel version of the Mosaic XL graphics platform running ChyronHego’s Lyric Prographics creation software.
Both games were shot with Sony F55 cameras while replays were provided by four Evertz DreamCatcher replay systems. The signal routing and switching were provided by Evertz and Sony equipment. IMS Productions manned the production truck and provided systems integration.
“Thanks to the participation of ChyronHego and the other technology providers, the tests were highly successful and gave us valuable insight into the unique characteristics and requirements of UHDTV/4K video formats and their impact on production and distribution systems,” said Robby Greene, president, IMS Productions.