Sony breaks technological boundaries with the first theatrical broadcast in 4K technology

National Theatre Live, an initiative by the National Theater in London to broadcast live performances on cinema screens, has carried out the world's first theatrical performance in 4K technology, with the work 'Battlehorse', in collaboration with Sony, Creative Broadcast Solutions, NEP Visions y Links Broadcast.

For the first time in the world, the award-winning theater production 'Battlehorse', based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, performed by National Theater Live, has been broadcast live in ultra high resolution 4K to cinema screens internationally.

The broadcast of the work in 4K resolution Sony, made the past 27 February from this London theater, to movie screens around the world was made with a projector from the Japanese multinational, whose recording will also be available in 4K DCP format so that theaters can repeat screenings at later dates.

In this project they have collaborated with Sony, who has used CineAlta F55 Super cameras with lenses Fujinon Cabrio to capture the representation, the companies Creative Broadcast Solutions (CBS), NT Live technical producer along with NEP Visions, which has provided the technical infrastructure to move 4K content from the camera to satellite, as well as to record and broadcast a simultaneous HD version.

As David Bush has pointed out, marketing manager of Sony Europe, “in the company's DNA we have the will to push technological barriers even further. Be able to demonstrate, with the help of partners, the world's first workflow from stage to screen, live and in 4K, “A project as acclaimed as ‘Workhorse’ represents a true milestone in the development of 4K technology.”.

Collaborative production

The realization of this project has relied on the experience and intense work of the teams of all the companies that have participated in it.. For this, The cameras used sent 4K content to Sony BPU4000 fiber adapters, that generate 4K and high definition signals simultaneously. Later, information is sent to a 4K-compatible vision switcher to create a live mix from the six camera feeds, adding graphics and subtitles (only for HD version).

Pre-recorded supplemental program materials have been imported to a Sony media server for playback. The live mix is ​​passed to satellite service provider Links Broadcast. The content of the mix has been recorded on a Sony MasterDeck, for both archiving and creating a 4K DCP master file, to be sent to theaters around the world.

NEP Visions has also recorded 4K ISO to two additional Sony MasterDecks for later use. In addition to 4K presentation, This company has provided live simultaneous HD content for distribution via Links Broadcast to more than a thousand movie theaters around the world, based on existing NT Live broadcast schedule.

For your part, Links Broadcast has provided the facilities for the upstream and downstream connection via satellite to ensure the broadcast of the 4K signal of the play 'Workhorse' from this London theater, specifically at the Curzon cinema in Chelsea.

Links Broadcast 4K uplink is provided alongside Links HD uplinks and enables encoding of incoming 4K content. Using four EN-100 encoders Adtec synchronous, the incoming signal is aggregated into a single transport path through an Adtec DTA3050 multiplexer. In this way the representation can be transmitted using a 1,5 m as Links Broadcast 4K upstream vehicle.

The 4K signal ascends to the SES Astra 3B satellite, con 36 Mhz capacity, in order to achieve the highest possible video data rate in the modulated 4K transport path. The incoming signal descends to the Curzon cinema in Chelsea via a reception antenna. 1,8 m. Links Broadcast and reaches the decoders of the RD70 Adtec receiver and, finally, heads to Sony's 4K movie theater for screening.

For Brian Clark, director of technical and commercial projects at NEP Visions, “It has been a pleasure to participate in the revolutionary show that is 'Battlehorse', an enormously prestigious project from the National Theater that is broadcast live in 4K resolution. This project is part of our effort to continue innovating in the areas of technology development, support our production partners and remain at the forefront of television”.

In this line, Rob Wickings, CEO of Links Broadcast, has stressed that “it has been the most attractive development of television production technology of the moment, and in particular live broadcasts via satellite”.