NAB: Expert Discussion on HDTV at T-Systems

Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 20, 2005. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.

The upcoming Football World Cup is driving the television market. Perhaps it will also offer an opportunity for mobile video services for the first time: While many mobile phone users previously could not see why they should receive video on their mobile phone while on the move, the situation may look different from the football fans’ point of view. A significant push is expected for the HD market in any case. Perhaps we will prefer to watch HD pictures in the pub or rather the “Premiere Sports Bar” around the corner?

In the T-Systems expert discussion, experts described, among other things, the changes brought by HDTV in programme design and sports reporting. Ken Aargaard of CBS Sports presented the HDTV situation in the USA: ABC wants to produce all television series in HD, HBO broadcasts 14 hours per day in HD, Fox Sports Net will convert 13 regional Sports Networks to HD (that is, district league in HD).

Francis Teller of HBS reported that the pressure to produce in HD came from the world football association FIFA. All matches will be recorded in HD; production will take place only in HD and, unlike at other events (Olympics 2004, 2006), not in parallel in SD as well. 25 cameras per stadium are intended to provide an extraordinary TV experience.

The additional costs for the technology amount to approximately 30 percent, while the total additional costs amount to about 20 percent. These additional costs are partly offset by the higher value of the rights. The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are likewise to be produced only in HD.

As HBS’s partner, T-Systems will take over the complete handling of the transmission. To do so, it intends to work with up to 50 parallel data streams. Before that, the Confederations Cup in June 2005 will be produced as a test under comparable conditions.