Implementing 4K and HDR technologies presents challenges in achieving higher resolutions, deeper color depth, and better quality while maintaining lower bandwidth requirements. Adder addresses these by developing advanced hardware capable of delivering dual 4K HDR10 streams with 10-bit color and investing in intellectual property to support evolving demands like higher frame rates and efficient deployment. This commitment ensures that we provide quality, deployable solutions that meet the growing expectations of users for premium visual experiences.

One challenge is getting customers to understand that 4K is great but may not be appropriate in every situation. 1080p HDR is enough to “fool” most viewers because it is to traditional HD what traditional HD was to SD. In the realm of large venue displays, 4K gives some unique content-creation possibilities. Multiple raster canvases can be combined into one surface that is easier to manage. Massive displays with smaller and smaller pixel pitches are great but not always necessary to maximize the viewer/fan experience. The same goes for 4K. The art of these technologies is finding the most efficient blend to create and display compelling and engaging content. We’ve actually hit a point of too big and too much resolution for the task.

A 4K stream can require upwards of 15-25 Mbps for smooth playback. We are using advanced codecs like HEVC (H.265) for more-efficient compression without sacrificing quality. These codecs enable smoother streaming experiences within the satellite infrastructure. 1080p HDR is a great hybrid to get to 4K. With the addition of HDR monitoring, we can do 1080p HDR within our current SDR workflow and transmission process. Delivering a 1080p HDR feed to the headend and upconverting that signal to 4K is a cost-effective yet high-quality solution to deliver 4K sports to viewers.

While 4K capability is ubiquitous now and supported by most distribution channels, the need to produce dual masters for both HDR and legacy displays is more challenging. It will take several years for this to be fully implemented. Although 8K displays are now available, I see very little demand in the market at today’s prices. And 4K content looks great when scaled up to 8K displays!

4K and HDR technologies present exciting opportunities but also significant challenges for the industry. On one hand, these advances enable content creators to deliver stunning visuals that captivate audiences, especially in live sports and entertainment. On the other, they demand higher bandwidth, more-robust storage solutions, and workflows capable of handling the increased data loads without compromising speed or quality. At Avid, we are addressing these challenges by optimizing our solutions to manage high-resolution content efficiently. Our solutions are designed to handle 4K and HDR workflows seamlessly, providing media professionals with the tools they need to create and deliver immersive content. Additionally, to help customers transition to these technologies, we offer scalable solutions that integrate with existing workflows, minimizing disruption while maximizing creative potential.

The biggest challenges with implementation of 4K, HDR, and other video-quality features are cost of change and cost of operation. Enabling these features at scale requires consideration and change across the video supply chain. Bitmovin provides a best-of-breed toolset for video engineers to address these challenges with more-efficient codecs like HEVC and AV1, reducing bandwidth needs while maintaining visual fidelity. Adaptive-bitrate streaming ensures smooth playback even with varying network conditions. Per-title optimization tailors encoding parameters for each video, maximizing quality and minimizing file size. Streamlined HDR workflows manage various HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10) and optimize for diverse displays. This combination allows streaming services to offer stunning 4K HDR experiences, overcoming bandwidth constraints and ensuring device compatibility. Learn more at https://bitmovin.com/blog/4k-hdr-dolby-vision-content/.

Although 4K and HDR present significant challenges for sports broadcasting, they also offer opportunities to enhance the viewing experience. The industry is currently navigating these trade-offs, with some opting for intermediate solutions like enhanced HD with HDR. As technology advances and infrastructure improves, we will see more adoption of 4K and HDR in sports broadcasting, but in a gradual process. The network bandwidth requirements of 4K HDR can be reduced by leveraging protocols such as NDI — often for control and management operations. Black Box will integrate these protocols into our KVM and AV solutions, enabling management of operations without the need for the cost of uncompressed flows. This will allow the live broadcast to be monitored without the full cost of uncompressed live signal.

4K offers sharper image quality and greater detail, and HDR offers a wider range of colors and brightness levels. Both offer better future-proofing than other formats and more flexibility in postproduction. The constraints of traditional transmission for networks and platforms don’t always allow 4K and HDR, and there can be challenges with storage and bandwidth, although advancing technology is easing these challenges. Blackmagic Design cameras shoot in both 4K and HDR, in addition to HD, offering a variety of recording formats and color science and allowing users to choose the format and resolution that suits their project’s needs.

We are building a new cloud production data center that will be 1080p HDR, with a clear path to 4K. The challenges we face include adapting current equipment that is not HDR-compliant and making the necessary changes. Additionally, the bandwidth and processing power required for HDR and 4K are significant, but we’re addressing these challenges with cutting-edge solutions.

Broadfield Distributing supports system integrators across the U.S. in installing and servicing sports-production equipment. This year, 4K technology has significantly outsold HD solutions, marking a major industry shift. A key challenge in adopting higher-resolution workflows has been the bandwidth required to support the technologies. However, we are at a pivotal moment when advances are bridging this gap. Efficient encoding standards like HEVC, coupled with expanded high-bandwidth networks and 5G technology, are making it easier than ever to enhance production quality. By aligning with these innovations, we help our partners overcome technical hurdles and transition smoothly to higher-resolution workflows, ensuring that their productions remain competitive and future-ready in the rapidly evolving sports-production landscape.

We have observed some trends where equipment rooms have become equipment closets, so space has become a premium. Such equipment as video switches and routers have decreased in size and footprint, first with DIN 1.0/2.3 and now the micro-BNC (HD-BNC). SDI SFP modules are starting to be developed, thanks to the size of these connectors. The OB truck, where space is also limited, has been using these products for some time now. We are continuing to develop such products as our upcoming 2x48 12G-SDI video patch bay. We have also tested and validated our L-2.5CHD miniature SDI coax for 12G applications.

In 2025, Canon expects a continued emphasis on products and solutions that support 4K, HDR, and higher resolutions with cost-effective, lightweight, compact products. In capturing images in 4K, HDR, and higher resolutions, resolving those images becomes challenging, especially with broadcast telephoto zoom lenses capable of zooming to 2,000mm. Lens design must prioritize lens sharpness despite the higher luminance and greater color volume associated with producing 4K and HDR images. Prime examples of this design are Canon’s flagship UJ122AF and UJ122 field box zoom lenses, capable of zooming to 2,000mm. Combining advanced design strategies with advanced optical-glass materials in these lenses maintains high image sharpness across the image plane and over the total focal range and a wide range of object distances.

Champion Data is at the forefront of sports-graphics broadcasting within the 4K and HDR space. Since initiating 4K/HDR graphics production in 2019 with our Fox Footy partnership, we now handle 80% of UHD graphics. Being on the leading edge of 4K-graphics production has had its challenges for us and our suppliers, from hardware costs to moving away from the traditional coax solutions to fiber and IP. The key to our success has been close collaboration between the hardware/software providers, working together to optimize solutions.

Increased bandwidth requirements: 4K and HDR content demand significantly higher data rates to handle increased bandwidth. Compatibility and standards: Multiple HDR formats and evolving standards can complicate integration across devices and platforms. Production complexity: Producing content in 4K HDR introduces the need for advanced equipment to maintain consistent quality. At Clark, we are committed to facilitating the seamless integration of 4K/HDR technologies by providing high-performance interconnect solutions. Among our offerings: 12-GHz coaxial cables for 8K and 4K UHD transmission at data rates up to 12 Gbps are precision-engineered to ensure reliable signal integrity for UHD content; DSM16UHD video snake cable supports ultra-high-definition video transmission, meets or exceeds SMPTE standards for UHD content, and is ideal for complex production environments requiring multiple video channels.

4K and HDR have been available for a while in streaming and in virtually all consumer TVs sold in the last several years. Moving forward, the opportunity is in two areas: single-stream production of SDR and HDR (especially for live events) and supporting 4K and HDR in ATSC 3.0 (bringing these technologies to OTA broadcast). We have been preparing for these markets since 2018, creating products that process 4K HDR in real time using dedicated hardware to do the job at a reasonable size and power envelope. This opportunity is coming to fruition now; general deployment is next. The next technology beyond 4K is 8K, but it is not as compelling, in our opinion.

Daktronics leads in 4K and HDR solutions for outdoor LED systems, designing pixel-accurate playback for displays often exceeding 4K resolution. Outdoor challenges like intense brightness, fluctuating light, and weather extremes complicate HDR’s demands for peak luminance and low-light detail. Using meticulous LED sorting and proprietary processing, we surpass DCI-P3 standards and approach Rec. 2020 for a wide color gamut in direct-view LED. Adhering to ITU-R BT.2100-2, we provide artistic-adjustment tools, allowing operators to fine-tune displays for specific environments. Supporting HDR formats like PQ and HLG, our solutions ensure workflow compatibility, ideal for live events. Advanced pixel-accurate signal processing 4K and beyond and LED calibration deliver color accuracy, consistent brightness, and sharp contrast, creating vibrant visuals that captivate audiences and adapt seamlessly to outdoor conditions.

Moving from HD to 4K multiplies the size of video files by a factor of two to four, but workflows still need to be completed in the same amount of time. That means the data needs to move through the production pipeline two to four times faster. 8K will multiply that by another two to four times, pushing target data rates to as much as 16 times faster than HD. Productions must take into account not just raw network bandwidth but also the capabilities of the storage systems and data-transfer software. Transfer-acceleration software such as ours is becoming an essential tool to ensure that schedules can be met even as data transfer becomes larger and more complex.

We have been facilitating 4K since 2016, so 4K has become the norm. As we move into HDR (1080p), we are finding that we are able to produce HDR with no challenges in a single production. However, the moment we need to share any of our mobile signals with leagues, a second mobile (visiting feed), or virtual signage, the challenges begin. It is very important that the home show and the visiting show have a strong V1 to coordinate not only the downconversion from 1080p to 1080i but also the conversion needed to ensure both mobiles are producing quality SDR and HDR feeds. Virtual signage now needs an SDR file and HDR file. Engineers have to be well-trained and understand the full signal flow.

The adoption of 4K, HDR, and beyond offers enhanced viewer experiences with stunning visuals but challenges broadcasters with massive data demands. Higher resolution, frame rates, and HDR workflows require high-performance storage systems to manage data throughput and meet sustainability goals. EditShare’s NVMe technology excels in modern sports facilities, enabling ingest of multi-stream 8K feeds while supporting real-time editing and playback — all from a compact 2RU node. This ensures that tight deadlines are met without sacrificing quality. Additionally, EditShare reduces the hardware footprint from a typical 20RU deployment to 2RU, significantly lowering power consumption and cooling needs and aligning with green initiatives. By combining performance with sustainability, EditShare enables broadcasters to embrace high-quality formats and codecs without needing a larger footprint in their racks.

The industry must fully integrate the technical requirement. But are the consumers/fans willing to pay extra for it? Yes, by the purchase of much larger and higher-resolution monitors.