philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Super Bowl 2019 high-tech broadcast will razzle-dazzle your retinas (AR and 8K)

...the brand-new Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta, which is hosting the championship, is embedded with over 4,000 miles of fiber to support a network that includes plenty of internet-of-things sensors throughout the building. The dome also has 90 miles of audio cabling and nearly 2,000 Wi-Fi access points.

On top of all that digital infrastructure, CBS Sports, which will broadcast the biggest event in American television, will also be using 2,000 strands of additional fiber and 330 recording channels. It's required to support the 115 total cameras and five sets around the stadium that'll be used to catch all the angles of each play, as well as the halftime show featuring Maroon 5, not to mention the pre- and postgame festivities. (Disclosure: CBS is CNET's parent company.)

This year, six of the network's cameras will also be outfitted with augmented-reality sensors from ncam that let them track AR graphics.

Integrating AR into a broadcast isn't new. Watch enough NFL games and you're bound to notice the graphics, animations, lines and other various markers on the field that aren't really there. But this year, Cohen says, CBS is experimenting with pushing the technology to new levels.

Traditional cameras, the skycam, a Techno-jib and an AVS wireless handheld Steadicam on the field will hopefully all be able to combine to project imagery into the stadium that's just for the enjoyment of the massive worldwide audience at home.

"You're really going to experience AR in a more theatrical manner," Cohen said.

Pulling it off will require the flawless coordination of the data from the ncam sensors, transmission of wireless signals and video from the field and then running it all through a graphics engine developed by the Future Group to generate what's seen on screens at home.

Look out for the enhanced visual effects during the pregame show, before kickoff and coming out of halftime, as well as during the game, when AR will be used to show statistics and other info in slick new ways.

Another big first for the broadcast will be the use of multiple 8K cameras. CBS will have three around the stadium to help an enthusiastic minority justify the purchase of some seriously high-resolution home screenage. That's in addition to 16 cameras with 4K capabilities, including nine that are zoom-capable with slow motion.

See the full story here: https://www.cnet.com/news/super-bowl-2019-high-tech-broadcast-will-razzle-dazzle-your-retinas/