F1 was fast to shift its broadcasts to Excessive Definition, then actual HD and, in 2017, moved to 4K ultra-high definition.
Now, in partnership with its Official Broadcast Connectivity Supplier Tata Communications, it’s starting to place in place what is required for the probably subsequent business customary – 8K.
The brand new photos will likely be 4 instances sharper than present F1 broadcasts and, whereas which will appear an pointless step contemplating how good the present decision is, the search for enchancment by no means stops.
Whereas some would possibly query the necessity for such a step in higher image high quality, Dhaval Ponda, Vice President and International Head Media & Leisure Enterprise at Tata Communications, says 8K is the longer term.
“What occurred step by step during the last couple of years is audiences globally, in nearly each single a part of the world, have gotten used to having content material in 4K. And for the younger technology that is the place the bar is now set,” Ponda instructed Motorsport.com.
“I believe that the transition to 8K is occurring truly fairly effectively within the business. And it’ll positively occur as a result of, for the present technology that has bought used to 4K, for them 8K will actually provide a finer element and the next stage of high quality.”
For these F1 followers who’re fairly glad with the present high quality of broadcast, it could be laborious to think about that issues may very well be even higher.
Photograph by: Jacob Niblett / Shutterstock Studios
Biggin Hill FOM manufacturing
However as Ponda defined: “It’s a step up. Once more, in case you return to the times of HD and when issues moved into Full HD, I believe that change was pretty vital.
“And after we went from Full HD to 4K, I believe it was visibly higher high quality, as you’ve got extra depth and extra element. Equally for 8K, it should seize a lot extra uncooked element that it will likely be gorgeous. If you happen to take a look at a shot of an ocean racing competitors in 8K, it’s elegant.”
Ponda has recognized three key phases that must be handed for F1 to maneuver to an period of 8K broadcasts.
“The first step is having the underlying digital infrastructure in place, which is principally round investing considerably into subsequent technology applied sciences,” Ponda stated.
“Loads of this funding can also be a real funding into the longer term, since you do not see any income on that within the close to time period.”
The second step includes working with expertise companions to determine an 8K ecosystem.
“Change isn’t remoted,” he added. “It’s by no means led by a single organisation. It’s all the time a gaggle of corporations that work collectively to ship that change for viewers globally.
Photograph by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
Begin motion
“So we’re actively working with expertise companions, but additionally with main sports activities broadcasters and sports activities federations to have the ability to ship this transformation to the viewers.”
However the ultimate step is maybe essentially the most important – and it’s of 8K screens being on the proper value level for the patron to need to join.
With the expertise at present fairly costly for the typical client, Ponda believes that costs have to drop earlier than the ultimate step will be actioned.
“We would want to have 8K screens and 8K TVs at a cheap value level that customers are capable of undertake,” he stated. “However that is additionally occurring fairly shortly.”
Viewing expertise
Making issues higher for the F1 viewer at residence isn’t just about making the pictures higher qualifying although.
One different important enchancment is lag. In the mean time, followers on the circuit expertise 1.5 seconds of latency when they’re watching the trackside screens.
For the individuals who tune it at residence, the pictures arrive with a delay of six or seven seconds, from the second they have been captured by FOM’s digicam operators.
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photos
Karun Chandhok, Sky Sports activities F1, interviews Jonathan Wheatley, Staff Supervisor, Crimson Bull Racing, on the pit wall
Tata has been evaluating methods to chop the delay so TV photos are as near reside as potential.
Ponda stated: “Our funding has all the time been on how can we shave off that additional second, half a second and even milliseconds of reside content material that’s going throughout hundreds of miles.
“Decreasing the lag includes a number of issues. It’s throughout working with higher {hardware}, and enhancing the processing energy of computer systems.
“However one of many methods during which we’re to scale back the lag and enhance the standard of content material is with funding into edge-based infrastructure.”
So what could be the minimal quantity of lag that may be achieved?
“We’re a situation – and that is within the close to future – during which we convey the lag down sufficiently sufficient the place, in case you have been to face subsequent to a sports activities venue, you’d see an occasion like a aim or any individual crossing the end line occurring in your display screen, nearly similtaneously you hear the group’s response coming from the venue,” stated Ponda. “So sure, the expertise is enhancing considerably.
“The sting-based digital infrastructure is the place a lot of the advances will likely be made. As a result of while you compute on the edge, it signifies that you’ll be able to do processing there reasonably than having to go all the best way to an information centre or a distant location after which come all the best way again. That would be the path ahead very quickly.”
Photograph by: Jacob Niblett / Shutterstock Studios
Biggin Hill FOM manufacturing
Getting every little thing synchronised
The delay in photos making it on to TV screens has opened up one of the crucial irritating features of watching fashionable F1 – nothing being in sync.
If you happen to watch race photos on a display screen, take the commentary from the radio, and cargo up information screens in your telephone, the three parts are not often linked up.
The reside standings might present a lead change, shortly earlier than the commentator tells you what has occurred – after which it’s nonetheless a few seconds earlier than the screens present it.
It’s an annoyance many followers have skilled however one which, in accordance with Ponda, might quickly be a factor of the previous.
“Proper now a lot of the content material consumption throughout the first display screen or TV display screen, the digital screens – so laptops, tablets, cell phones – and the screens on the venues are all out of sync.
“It’s because the expertise is pretty fragmented throughout varied modes of content material consumption.
“So we’ve got labored with a number of the main digital gamers in an effort to ship a synchronised expertise, as we name it, the place whatever the display screen – you might be at a venue a trackside display screen, a digital display screen and a main display screen on the identical time – they might all be in sync.
“The expertise does exist at present in an effort to ship that have. And I believe this would be the method ahead, so individuals will have the ability to have synchronised video consumption throughout varied screens.”
