EMG delivers live sports in HDR
- EMG was requested to produce live in HDR for national broadcaster clients, as well as retaining SDR production
- EMG needed a pragmatic approach to deliver HDR and SDR content without duplicating operations, while maintaining highest quality of both deliverables
- Sony and EMG worked in collaboration to implement Sony’s proven SR Live for HDR workflow
- Enables single production infrastructure and crew to simultaneously produce and deliver HDR and SDR contents
- Simplified end-to-end HDR production workflow from acquisition to transmission
- Cost-effective parallel delivery to clients in HDR and SDR
- Minimal requirement for staff re-skilling thanks to training provided by Sony
- Production quality sustained for both HDR and SDR deliverables
A major part of our UHD fleet is now equipped for HDR, and all of our new trucks are being equipped with the same quality standard by default. We thank Sony for their contribution to achieving our goals.
Bevan Gibson
CTO, EMG
Efficient HDR workflow for broadcast services leader
EMG is a leading global provider of broadcast services and media solutions for live sports, entertainment, and events. Since August 2020 Sony has been supporting EMG in delivering a seamless HDR/SDR live sports production workflow for its broadcast clients, including Canal+. Working in close collaboration, Sony has helped establish a highly efficient end-to-end HDR workflow while maximizing re-use of EMG’s existing production infrastructure.
Smooth evolution from SDR to HDR
Live production in HDR allows broadcasters to deliver a more lifelike, immersive viewing experience for TV audiences. However the migration of production workflows from SDR to HDR presents challenges in the successful conversion of frame rate, color gamut, quantization, resolution, and dynamic range through from image capture to transmission.
EMG and Sony thus worked together to create an end-to-end HDR/SDR dual production solution based around Sony’s well-proven SR Live workflow. Incorporating Sony’s HDC-3500 camera systems, HDRC-4000 HDR processor and BVM-HX310 31‑inch 4K master monitors, the solution augments EMG’s existing SDR workflow and operational practices. The successful collaboration has also included training for EMG’s Paris-based technical staff, delivered from Sony’s facilities in Pinewood Studios, UK.
Supporting a busy sporting schedule
Implementing Sony’s well-established SR Live workflow allows EMG to produce sporting events simultaneously in HDR and SDR to meet its broadcast clients’ needs. The media solutions specialist was commissioned by UEFA to supply the host broadcast production of the UEFA Super Cup in Budapest, with their next generation Nova 103 OB vehicle delivering images of the highest quality. The UHD/HDR truck is also part of the large fleet of UHD/HDR vehicles that’s been operated by EMG during the postponed 2020 UEFA European Football Championship held in 2021.
Seamless, cost-effective delivery
“More clients are requesting delivery of live sporting events in both HDR and SDR” says Bevan Gibson, Chief Technology Officer at EMG. “We’ve been integrating the two workflows into our setup in a cost-effective way, so we haven’t had to create a whole new way of working. We have collaborated successfully with Sony to ensure everything works well in HDR and SDR—and remembering that the bulk of our audience is watching SDR content.”
“A major part of our UHD fleet is now equipped with HDR, and all of our new trucks are being equipped with the same quality standard by default” adds Bevan. “We thank Sony for their contribution to achieving our goals.”
