Bitmovin and Globo set new standard for global streaming of sports content with ultra HD 8K HDR

Bitmovin, the world leader in digital video technology, today announced that Globo, the largest mass media group in Latin America, is now streaming Ultra HD 8K HDR to its digital subscribers using Bitmovin’s proprietary encoding technology. 8K is the most advanced standard in image quality perceptible to the human eye, with a resolution 16 times higher than HD (high definition) and 4 times higher than the 4K standard.

Using Bitmovin, Globo debuted the Tokyo 2020 Olympics 8K VOD content on Globoplay for free, as a limited experiment. This marks the first time the Olympics have been streamed in 8K outside of Japan.

Bitmovin provides the elasticity of the cloud for a job that demands tremendous processing power in a short period of time. This processing is necessary to preserve the quality and transform the content offered in Ultra HD 8K HDR into a compatible size that can be transported over broadband internet connections.

“With the industry moving to a TV 3.0 model, we wanted to work with a partner to debut 8K in a high-visibility cultural moment. Globo’s Olympic Games broadcast presented a unique opportunity to showcase 8K HDR to the widest possible audience, and help subscribers maximize their experience on the platform”, said Lucas Stephanou, Video Platform Product Owner at Globo.

“At Bitmovin we believe that one of the most important ways an organization can succeed is by providing a quality experience across app functionality, video stream quality, and content accessibility. When it comes to supporting VOD sports on the back end, it can be very challenging because the quick movements of the athletes can result in blurry images if you don’t have the right technology behind it. Helping Globo stream the Olympics in 8K helped us test and prove the power of our encoding technology on a grand scale,” said Stefan Lederer, Co-Founder and CEO of Bitmovin. Streaming Media