With NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, driving towards the delivery of 8K content via satellite by the end of next year, it’s no surprise that the use of IP networking technologies is of interest. But the interest across Japan in IP extends beyond meeting the needs of 8K as it is seen as a way to make operations more flexible and cost effective.

It’s a project of superlatives, with several millions invested in building Sky Sports’ new Headquarters and broadcast hub, just next to the head office in Unterföhring. The 4600 square metre ground hosts two new studios, as well as an additional space for the Sky Bundesliga simulcast. The new broadcast complex is equipped with a broad range of advanced Sony 4K HDR ready technologies, demonstrating what a “studio of the future” looks like; seven HDC-4300 cameras, one HDC-P43 POV-camera,  one XVS-7000 mixer and over 140 Sony OLED and LCD screens, ranging from BVM-X300 and LMD-A240 to PVM-A170, PVM-A250 and PVM-X550.

LYNX Technik AG^®, provider of software-defined modular interfaces for broadcast as well as professional AV and industrial signal processing applications, will be exhibiting at InterBee 2017, Hall 4, booth 4605, with its Japan-based partner, Gansui. With sophisticated 8K testing well underway and Japan’s intent to broadcast 8K by the 2020 Games, InterBee is the ideal venue and exhibition that brings the region together to continue the 4K and 8K discussion.

INSIGHT TV, the world’s largest UHD broadcaster and producer of native UHD HDR content covering action sports, entertainment, and lifestyle, has today revealed a major distribution deal with next-generation U.S. cable company Layer3 TV. This is the first 4K UHD distribution deal that INSIGHT TV has signed in the United States. The agreement means that INSIGHT TV is now available to Layer3 TV subscribers on channel 115 in Denver, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Dallas in 4K UHD, launching with high-profile shows such as King of the Hammers, Life of Cards and Secrets of the Brain.

Broadcast production has evolved greatly over the past few years with no slow down in sight as viewing habits continue to move toward a more mobile society. Traditional broadcast is no longer driving the needs, and days of “black box” master control is over. The drive for more content delivered in more places and at anytime is overwhelming. One of the most challenging digital workflows is sports production. Live events, tight schedules, and increasing streams at high-resolution make it a no-compromise environment.

FIFA TV has a proud legacy of pioneering new broadcast technology at FIFA tournaments to ensure that football fans around the world can enjoy the best quality sports coverage. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ will be no different, with FIFA pushing the boundaries of sports broadcast.

To expand beyond digital video and into live production, Tencent Video required solution upgrades to meet its new content creation needs. From cameras to switchers to processors, servers and more, Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, outfitted Tencent Video’s outside broadcast truck with all the IP and 4K-capable solutions the company will need to succeed in creating enhanced live and sports programming. The new production system starts with LDX 86^N Series cameras to capture high-quality images in multiple formats; the Kayenne K-Frame Video Production Center and GV Korona K-Frame V-series switchers for integrated content production; GV Node IP Processing and Routing Platform, GV Convergent IP/SDI Router Control System and IPG-3901 SDI/IP Gateway to process and route content; and T2 audio/video playout center for content distribution.

Blackmagic Design has announced that a live production solution featuring the ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, Teranex Express and HyperDeck Mini is being used for video production and IMAG projection on the 2017 OneRepublic Honda Civic Tour.

For the second time, G&D’s products will be travelling to the Far East to be presented at InterBEE 2017 (15-17 November 2017), Japan's largest and most important meeting place for broadcast & entertainment professionals. The products themselves have been enjoying great popularity in Japan for some years now. For more than 50 years, InterBEE has been combining innovations in the fields of broadcasting, video, audio, lighting and media. In order to present the technological innovations for the broadcasting sector and to better meet the needs of media professionals in Japan, Guntermann & Drunck will again visit Tokyo with numerous powerful highlights. At the G&D stand, visitors will experience the broadest KVM portfolio on the market and many innovative features for broadcast applications.

“The European project, 8K SVIP, is the easy bridge to the future 8K broadcast studio. It will help broadcasters leapfrog directly from HD and 4K to 8K. We see this collaboration between Belgium and Czech Republic manufacturers and researchers as an essential step to propelling 8K broadcasting to the home. And we look forward to demonstrating our solutions at InterBee to migrate easily from HD and 4K to 8K” - Jean-François Nivart, Image Matters CEO.

INSIGHT TV, a world leading UHD HDR broadcaster and producer of native UHD content covering action sports, entertainment and lifestyle, has announced a major production partnership with CJ E&M, South Korea’s largest media conglomerate. INSIGHT TV and CJ E&M are co-producing two unique one-hour films that will examine how athletes in PyeongChang use technology to maximise their performance. The films will be distributed on CJ E&M’s South Korean network, across Europe on INSIGHT TV’s channel and globally on INSIGHT.TV.

Cobalt Digital today announced that it is the first U.S. manufacturer selected to license Technicolor's High Dynamic Range (HDR) Intelligent Tone Management (ITM) technology for the broadcast television environment. Cobalt will make the Technicolor HDR ITM feature optionally available on its new series of 12G/6G/3G/HD/SD-SDI 4K cards for the openGear^® platform and on its BBG-1000 series of stand-alone units. The HDR license will also be available for certain versions of Cobalt's 9902-UDX card, which are installed in hundreds of locations worldwide. This upgrade path not only adds value to customers' Cobalt investment but also unlocks the potential to remonetize content for HDR distribution using existing hardware.

NEP Switzerland now works with its second 4K/UHD OB Van unit, again conceived and delivered by Broadcast Solutions GmbH. The Swiss company doubled its 4K production resources in readiness for broadcast production work on the 2017/2018 season of the Swiss Raiffeisen Super League (RSL).

Sony is introducing an accessible camera system for 4K and HDR-ready studio and live production with the combination of the latest HXC-FB80 portable camera and HXCU-FB80 camera control unit (CCU). Based on a 3G-SDI platform with 1080/50p capabilities, the new system is well-suited for live production applications (studios, education, events), where production professionals need a high-quality HD solution with a migration path to 4K and HDR.

Atomos have today announced a comprehensive free firmware update for their Shogun Inferno and Ninja Inferno 4K monitor/recorders which enables stunning new features and adds significant value for owners. The AtomOS 8.4 firmware release brings key features that make capturing and delivering in HDR as seamless as in standard dynamic range (SDR). It also brings 2K 240fps Raw-to-ProRes and 4K 12-bit CDNG Raw recording to the Panasonic Varicam LT, when coupled with the Shogun Inferno. This adds to the existing Raw support for several Sony and Canon cinema cameras, as well as improving support and enhancements for many more cameras.