Running the world’s first UHD IP remote production trial

With Euro 2020 fast approaching, UEFA has been keen to explore the production workflow capabilities of remotely working in a 4K format. So, during the last year’s UEFA European Under-21 Championship Final in Poland, we were asked to trial a complete Proof of Concept IP infrastructure system. 

Working with Snell Advanced Media (SAM), we delivered the world’s first uncompressed UHD IP remote production trial: live UHD signals from five Sony HDC 4300 4K/HD cameras at the stadium were sent via two 100GB Ethernet links to BT Sport’s production control room 1,000 miles away in London. 

SAM’s LiveTouch replay and highlights system was also deployed in a 2-in/2-out UHD configuration to play UHD replays, packages and graphics. LiveTouch offered UEFA a powerful suite of creative tools, enabling the operators to instantly trade media from edit to live.

This test was at the very edge of innovation and a real milestone for remote production. It was the first time that uncompressed UHD signals had been delivered over such a distance with ultra-low latency. The production team perceived no difference to sitting in an outside broadcast truck on location, which is a testament to how robust the technology is.