ATEME powers Super Bowl UHD VR experience
February 6, 2017
Video compression solutions specialist ATEME’s technology was used for the VR near-live coverage in Ultra High Definition (UHD) of Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, in partnership with Fox Sports and LiveLike.
They teamed up to offer a virtual and interactive lounge during the game that presented highlights in near real-time via the Fox Sports VR app for iOS and Android devices. Accordingly, each viewer equipped with VR handset could experience the game in the same way as seated in a VIP lounge in the stadium.
Six Ultra HD cameras placed in strategic location were used for a complete immersion in the action. ATEME plays a major role in this technological first, as each camera is streamed in OTT using TITAN, ATEME’s software-based encoder-transcoder. Supporting any codec, any resolution up to UHD, TITAN delivers high video quality at minimum bitrates, which reduces the high bandwidth necessary to provide the service to the consumer home.
“We have worked very closely with ATEME for many years. The scalability and bandwidth efficiency of TITAN Live and TITAN File matches our VR broadcast specificities as well as our customer’s requirements,” said Fabrice Lorenceau, founder and LiveLike head of production. “On top of that, they provide a pristine video quality, which is crucial to get the best user experience.”
“We’re proud to participate in VR development, and make VR streaming delivery become a reality,” declared Michel Artières, CEO of ATEME. “The challenge here was to lower the bitrate at its maximum to reach the wider possible audience, while maintaining high video quality.”