Snell & Wilcox to supply standards converters for 2008 Olympics

May 14, 2007 12:00 PM

    

Most of the 2008 Olympic Games will be transmitted in HDTV, so NBC will have to convert material transparently to the U.S. broadcast standard using the AlchemistPhC.

Snell & Wilcox will supply its Alchemist Ph.C HD motion-compensated frame rate standards converter to NBC Universal to enable the network to convert HD and SD feeds for its coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Coverage of the 2008 Olympics will be originated in the 1080i/50 broadcast standard for HDTV and the 625/50 PAL standard for SDTV. Before NBC can transmit this content to viewers in the United States, it must first be converted to the 1080i/60 broadcast standard for HDTV and/or the 525/60 NTSC standard for SDTV. As a result, NBC will convert virtually every SD and HD feed from the 2008 Olympics through the Snell & Wilcox frame rate converters prior to delivery to viewers in the United States.

High-quality frame rate standards conversion will play a vital role in the delivery of the Beijing Olympics to American viewers, according to David Mazza, senior vice president, engineering, NBC Olympics. He said most of the 2008 Olympic Games will be transmitted in HDTV, so it's critical that the network is able to convert this material transparently to the U.S. broadcast standard in order to deliver the highest possible viewing experience.

Snell & Wilcox motion-compensated frame rate standards converters have played a critical role in NBC’s Olympic broadcasts since the 2000 Games in Sydney. The company supplied NBC with motion-compensated converters at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

For more information, visit www.snellwilcox.com.




Want to use this article?
Click here for options!
Get Copyright Clearance

Share this article

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

Current Issue

Online captioning compliance

May 2012

The FCC has issued captioning requirements for all online video. Learn how to meet the requirements of the new rules and how to automate the technical process.

Read More articles...

Related Newsletter

Transition to Digital
A twice per month tutorial on digital technology.

Related Posts


Confused about the terminology in an article? Find definitions of common terms and abbreviations in Broadcast Engineering's Glossary.

 


Video Compression, Editing and Displays

Video Compression, Editing and Displays

Video compression, editing and displays is an in-depth tutorial on MPEG compression technology, editing MPEG content and evaluating color video monitors written by long-time video expert, trainer and writer Steve Mullen, Ph. D.

File Based Technology and Workflow

File Based Technology and Workflow

File-based technologies have replaced video tape methods for a majority of production and broadcast operations. The worlds of AV and IT are coalescing to create new methods and workflows for media

Sound Off Podcasts

 

Broadcast Engineering Digital Reference Guide

Browse Back Issues

Back to Top