Reports have emerged suggesting sports broadcasters have chosen to turn away from 4K live production, and instead, are opting for 1,080p with HDR, referred to as “enhanced HD.”
According to FlatPanels, there are plans to downgrade the production of the UEFA Euro 2024 football championship in Germany from 4K to 1,080p resolution.
The UEFA Champions League will also be downgraded to 1,080p this year, as well as unspecified tournaments, according to the IBC (International Broadcasting Convention).
Since 2015, the UEFA Champions League final has been produced and broadcast in UHD. The EURO has been in UHD since 2016.
The plan is to ultimately change to 1,080p resolution. However, new cameras will be used to capture a wider dynamic range.
Reportedly, tests revealed viewers prefer this to 4K without HDR.
After over 10 years of 4K production, it remains a challenge to capture live content.
Some broadcasters or channels could still promote this content in 4K, however, it will be an internal upscale from 1,080p.
The industry has cited rights holders’ lack of interest and user-changing habits as the main reasons behind this decision.
Separately, the 2024 Paris Olympics are still scheduled to be produced in 4K with HDR and 5.1.4 immersive audio.
In Australia, the biggest sports streaming service is Kayo, and in February, it released 4K streaming. The subscription plans are Kayo One (A$25 a month) for one stream in HD, and Kayo Basic (A$35 a month) for 2 streams in HD and 4K availability for AFL, NRL, Cricket, Formula 1, and Netball.
