Sochi Winter Olympics to Utilize Over 70 Sony HD and 4K Cameras, 500 Professional Monitors

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 6, 2014 | 0 comments
Sohrab Osati

Sony_F55_Handheld

The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics is set to kick off tonight, exclusively on NBC where the network giant will utilize Sony’s range of HD production technology for its coverage. This is the 8th consecutive Olympics that Sony has provided support for NBC but the inclusion of 4K will make it a first. To help capture every moment, NBC will utilize over 70 Sony HD and 4K professional camcorders. Specifically, NBC will use the XDCAM, HDC, HSC and HXC-100 models for their 1080p HD coverage while the Sony F55 will provide native 4K footage. Just last week, the NFL tapped Sony for their HD expertise where Sony professional cameras were used to capture HD and 4K coverage of Super Bowl XLVIII. But that’s not the only Sony equipment that’s making its way to Russia.

In edition to relying on Sony’s professional line of cameras, NBC will also use more than 500 Sony professional monitors. Specifically, it will be a

 combination of its professional LCD video production and public displays and hundreds of the Trimaster EL OLED monitors (BVM and PVM series) for evaluation. 

Sony_Switch_MVS_7000

To ensure topnotch audio is provided to viewers, commentators and athletes when appropriate will be equipped with Sony CM Series lavalier and electret condenser microphones while Sony’s MVS-6530 and MVS-7000 (pictured right) switchers to handle feeds from each sports venue. Alec Shapiro, president of Sony Electronics’ Professional Solutions of America group:

 For each Games, the production requirements increase and become more complex as TV viewers now expect a dynamic and immersive entertainment experience, especially when it comes to sports 

Since CES 2014, Sony has made it clear that they plan to be extremely aggressive with their 4K strategy. In just a few short months, Sony will have covered the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, and World Cup with native 4K footage. We’ve reached out to Sony to see if consumers with 4K televisions can consume the Sochi Winter Olympics in 4K but we haven’t heard back. We’ll be sure to update this post accordingly if Sony updates us with any new information.

Discuss:

With Sony aggressively pursuing 4K coverage of sports events, are you more likely to feel comfortable with a 4K purchase or do you still feel like the format has a long way to go before you’re ready to make the switch?

[Via TV Technology]