HDTV companies transmit European football championship to electronic cinemas

Several European broadcast companies are working together in the production and transmission of live HDTV sport content to electronic cinemas in Denmark and Norway.

Alfacam, the Belgian high-definition TV facilities company, EVS Broadcast Equipment, SES ASTRA and VIASAT – TV3 have teamed up to provide HDTV sports coverage.

Alfacam's HDTV teams captured the European Championship qualifying match between Denmark versus Norway Saturday, June 28. The football game was shot with 19 HD cameras and live replays. Highlights editing was performed using eight-networked HD LSM-XTs.

The HD feeds were uplinked via the SES ASTRA 3A satellite. These HD transmissions were received by a number of selected electronic cinemas in Copenhagen (DK) and Bergen (N) where the match was displayed on 12-meter screens using HD projectors. Another seven LSM's of various vintages, most of which were recording Supermotion footage, were deployed for the parallel and independent SD production path. The internal down converters of the HD LSM-XTs, however, provided additional angles to the standard broadcast production.