The 10 key technological innovations of Tokyo 2020

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are certainly being different, given the context in which they are held. However, this circumstance has not prevented a spectacular technical display full of innovation. The host broadcaster of the largest sporting event, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), has introduced a dozen interesting innovations.

1. The first UHD Games in history

For the first time in the history of productions OBS, los Olympics It is being produced with UHD as standard. In this way, the aim is to provide details never seen before, improve color reproduction and, in any case, fidelizar a una audiencia cuya exigencia por la fidelidad visual cada vez es mayor.

Los 42 recintos de la competición están siendo captados con UHD cameras. A total of 31 unidades móviles (con capacidades IP ST-2110 para aportar vídeo con latencia ultrabaja) y 22 sistemas fly-away han sido específicamente rediseñados para adaptarse a las nuevas exigencias de este formato. Con respecto el audio, este se está capturando con una configuración inmersiva 5.1.4, para la cual se ha empleado un total de 3.600 micrófonos of 38 modelos diferentes.

Volviendo a la captación, tal y como detalla Isidoro Moreno, responsable de ingeniería de OBS, prácticamente todo el contenido está siendo captado en UHD, si bien algunas cámaras especiales siguen con un output de 1080p SDR. These signals will be converted to UHD HDR to be integrated into the feed of the competition. Likewise, hundreds of processes have been automated to ensure that, although the content is produced in UHD, each of the mobile units is capable of generate unprecedented 1080i SDR output with the aim of streamlining the distribution of content and achieving, along the way, a higher image quality than that achieved if it had been produced directly with HD cameras.

Beyond these strategic issues, Moreno detalla las especificaciones técnicas de la producción: “Para Tokio, se utiliza la norma SMPTE 292 para la producción de la señal HD-SDI 1080i/59,94. OBS seguirá la especificación de 59,94 Hz. Los receptores UHD recibirán la señal internacional en UHD HDR, con configuración de audio 5.1.4. La producción UHD se adherirá a la norma SMPTE 2036-1 y seguirá la especificación de 59,94 Hz. El estándar HDR será Hybrid-Log Gamma (HLG)”.

2. 5G: Primeras pruebas que serán consolidadas en Beijing 2022

He 5G ha llegado para quedarse. Multiplicará las posibilidades de conexión y de transmisión, ya sea por sus posibilidades de edge computing (which will allow progress in issues such as cloud production) or for its very high retransmission speeds. The comparison leaves no room for doubt: while 4G can upload content at a speed of 10 Mbps, this speed rises to 100 Mbps in the case of 5G. Latency is another key element: new technology allows a difference of only 1 millisecond, compared to the 10 offered by the fourth generation of mobile telephony.

For Tokyo 2020, OBS has prepared new 5G tests that will involve the broadcast of content during the opening and closing ceremonies through cameras ENG. These signals will be sent to IBC (International Broadcast Center) para la medición de su velocidad y calidad. Si los resultados son los esperados, y la tecnología sigue evolucionando al ritmo previsto, “tendremos cobertura 5G en todos los recintos de competición de los Juegos Olímpicos de Invierno de Beijing 2022”, tal y como afirma Mark Wallace, responsable de contenido de OBS. Los procesos de IA, al igual que el 5G, estarán presentes en Tokio 2020 en fase de pruebas.

3. Multi Clip Feeds: multiplicando las posibilidades de los broadcasters

Beyond the standard OBS coverage (which reaches high quality standards taking into account the complexity and dimensions of the production), broadcasters will have additional tools with which they can personalize or complete their broadcasts: Multi Clip Feeds.

This innovation, presented again by Wallace, is a set of signals that are offered simultaneously to the main coverage and that offer shots as shots POV (Point of view) or cameras super-slow, among other resources. With the aim that rights owners can benefit from these advantages, OBS has developed nearly 100 multi clips feeds. Whenever technology allows, these signals will be available in UHD format.

“Los Multi-Clip Feeds They serve as a response to the demands of rights owners. In Tokyo 2020, most sports have these signals,” says the content manager.

4. The first (truly) multi-platform Olympic Games

Televisions have found new ways to narrate the Olympic games. The concept of the sofa as a base of operations is blurring to offer new channels whose demand continues to grow. In this way, the mobile phones, tablets or computers They emerge as parallel paths that require specific and adapted content.

OBS se ha adaptado a estos requerimientos multiplicando su producción de contenido. Concretamente, ofrecerá más de 9.500 horas de contenido en numerosos formatos y para todo tipo de perfiles. Para facilitar estos procesos, OBS ha ampliado su servidor de medios cloud, ofreciendo la posibilidad de editar y descargar todas las piezas de formato reducido adaptadas a diferentes ventanas y en diferentes resoluciones. De esta forma, el broadcaster puede “olvidarse” de adaptar el feed principal, pudiendo tomar como base contenido predefinido para plataformas.

Para favorecer estos procesos, OBS ha desarrollado servicios adicionales como Content+, que al término de la competición habrá puesto a disposición de los broadcasters entre 7.000 y 9.000 clips pensados exclusivamente para su distribución a través de smartphones, por ejemplo. Karen Mullins, directora de gestión de producto de OBS, también destaca el servicio Sports Clip Service, el cual ofrecerá hasta 1.800 clips con los mejores momentos de las producciones deportivas.

5. Tecnologías inéditas en los Juegos Olímpicos

Más allá de las aplicaciones de formatos emergentes en la industria como UHD o 5G, Tokio 2020 cuenta con varias innovaciones que permiten enriquecer la retransmisión de una forma nunca antes vista en los Juegos Olímpicos. Entre estos desarrollos se encuentran los sistemas de repetición multicámara, compuestos de entre 60 y 80 cámaras 4K que permiten recrear acciones en 360 degrees so that the viewer, after five seconds of processing, can see all angles of an action. This system is being used in sports such as 3×3 Basketball, Volleyball or Skateboard.

Another innovation is the 2D image tracking, which allows making a trackeo of competitors based on image capture instead of GPS technology. This initiative allows the rendering of graphics associated with each of the marathon, cycling or triathlon competitors. On the other hand, the 3D athlete tracking, developed by Intel y Alibaba, will allow a complete graphic representation of the development of the main athletics races, permitiendo identificar en qué momento los corredores han esprintado o alcanzado su máxima velocidad, por ejemplo. El sistema funciona con el procesamiento y posterior computación en tiempo real de las imágenes captadas por cuatro cámaras situadas en el estadio olímpico de Japón.

Tokio 2020 depara tres innovaciones más. Por un lado, la recopilación de datos biométricos ya es una realidad en las producciones deportivas. Una vez superadas cuestiones controvertidas como la protección de los datos, los espectadores de tiro con arco podrán descubrir en tiempo real el pulso de los atletas. Estos datos biométricos se consiguen a través de 4 cámaras Panasonic located 12 meters from the athletes, which can identify the slight changes in skin color generated by the contraction of blood vessels and generate an approximate pulse in real time. Another key to coverage is True View, system of Intel that will allow the construction of three-dimensional repetitions based on 35 4K cameras located in the Saitama Super Arena, a pavilion used for basketball matches.

Finally, Tokyo 2020 is also offering 3D virtual graphics in the sport climbing discipline. This system will allow real-time analysis of the climbing surface. Based on augmented reality, the solution will help explain the difficulties and options that each of the athletes face during their participation in the test.

6. Immersion through virtual reality

As part of OBS' effort to offer rights owners all kinds of broadcast options, Matt Millington, director of digital content production, has promoted the production of 110 hours of immersive content in 180º and 360º. This type of content is being applied both in the opening and closing ceremonies (360º), and in sports such as athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing and gymnastics (180º).

To offer this option, OBS has deployed a total of six 180-degree stereoscopic cameras. Those broadcasters who want to provide this type of visualization via streaming, will allow viewers not only to access new angles during the live production of the tests, but also to unpublished content such as “best moments” or POV shots.

The system, for whose integration the broadcasters have had a Specific SDK, is compatible with specific hardware such as Oculus Quest, con navegadores web y con dispositivos móviles.

7. Producción remota íntegra en tenis y ruedas de prensa

La producción remota, teóricamente, ya está lista. Los procesos, fabricantes y tecnologías están sobre la mesa. De hecho, muchos productores de contenidos ya se lanzan a producir ambiciosas producciones deportivas de esta modalidad. Sin embargo, OBS ha optado por ser cauto en esta área.

Tras poner a prueba en los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud de Buenos Aires 2018 estos flujos de producción, todos los partidos de tenis de Tokio 2020 They will be captured with robotic cameras. On the other hand, the production of the images will be done directly from the IBC. A similar model will be applied for coverage of press conferences.

8. The cloud arrives to speed up production

Beyond these remote production processes, the cloud consolidates its presence in the Olympic Games to contribute flexibility, processing and instant access both to the OBS team and to rights owners around the world.

Looking ahead to Tokyo 2020, OBS has joined forces with Alibaba Group to create OBS Cloud, a set of cloud solutions adapted to “extremely demanding and data-intensive” broadcast workflows. OBS Cloud, beyond offering high connectivity, processing and storage capabilities, also allows you to establish your own content creation, management and distribution systems within the platform.

OBS anticipates that, as hours of content and requests for immediate access to content continue to multiply, cloud technology will be essential to meet its objectives, given its scalability and production options.

9. CTA: Mini data centers to optimize production

Tokyo 2020 content, required by rights owners around the world, in the vast majority of cases benefits from connections from the feed official. In this way, broadcasters save resources by allowing them to focus on the personalization and narration of content. Nevertheless, 21 rights owners They have their base of operations in the Tokyo IBC itself.

The spaces used by these corporations range from small desks with computers to more complete sets that involve sets, editing rooms, commentary booths or news production rooms. Looking ahead to this edition of the Olympic Games, and with the aim of optimizing broadcast operations, OBS has promoted CTAs, Centralised Technical Areas (Centralized technical areas).

In the words of Tomoyo Sato, senior manager of broadcast services, these mini data centers adjacent to the areas of the different rights owners “will house and centralize all the technical equipment of each RHB in a dedicated and secure area with specific cooling capacity.”

10. Connecting athletes with fans

Unidirectionality is no longer the only way. Fans are used to interact and create emotional and identity relationships thanks to the deployment of social networks. In this way, the engagement It becomes an essential concept to understand the loyalty of spectators towards an event like Tokyo 2020 and, more specifically, towards those artists who represent a country, a social group or perhaps the new voices of a generation.

In order to address these needs, OBS has promoted a digital suite of engagement fan, which allows spectators to interact with athletes at different times in their daily lives. This collection of digital tools, in the words of Yiannis Exarchos, CEO de OBS, “no sólo permitirá a los amigos y familiares interactuar con los atletas dentro del recinto, sino que también proporcionará a las emisoras acceso a nuevos flujos de participación y módulos interactivos que ofrecerán una gran cantidad de oportunidades de contenido, al tiempo que permitirán a los aficionados de todo el mundo participar activamente en el apoyo a sus héroes nacionales”.

Entre las iniciativas específicas que OBS ha puesto en marcha encontramos Cheer Map, un mapa en el que se puede comprobar en tiempo real qué audiencias están animando con más ímpetu a sus equipos nacionales, o Fan Video Wall, an interactive video wall where viewers can record themselves cheering.

A report by Sergio Julián

Tokyo 2020 in figures

• 9.500 hours of content produced by OBS
• 4.000 hours of sports and ceremonies
• 30% more content compared to Rio 2016
• 118 HD content feeds
• 68 feeds UHD
• 76 UHD distribution HD44 distribution feeds
• 46 radio stereo channels
• 31 mobile units
• 22 sistemas fly-away
• 1.048 cameras
• 210 slow motion cameras
• 250 mini cams
• 145 radio frequency cameras
• 18 cablecams
• 27 trail cameras
• 37 cranes
• 3.600 microphones
• 40.000 square meters in the IBC
• 30 rights owners + Olympic Channel
• 140 broadcast organizations
• 220 countries and territories
• 8.100 OBS workers