The 4K experience has yet to make its way into mainstream America, but the widespread use of this next-generation technology is near, said panelists at the '15 NeuLion Sports Media & Technology Conference. LG Dir of Smart TV Content Matt Durgin noted that the number of 4K TV sets shipped in the U.S. has tripled since last year, from 1.5 million to approximately 5 million, with the expectation of doubling that in ‘16. Americans will be watching live 4K events by early next year, said NeuLion Exec VP/Marketplace Strategy & co-Founder Chris Wagner. With four times the clarity of 1080p HD, panelists compared this next wave of groundbreaking TV to that of the jump from standard-def to HD. The at-home audience, for example, will soon be able to appreciate the undulation of greens on a golf course as if they themselves were lining up the putt. “At this point, most fans sitting at home watching their HD screen think their picture’s great,” said NBA Exec VP/Operations & Technology Steve Hellmuth. “In fact, when I go over to peoples’ homes -- because they know I’m in the television business -- they always say to me, ‘Hey Steve, doesn’t my picture look great?’ I always go, ‘It looks fantastic. It looks wonderful! You’ve got a great set there.’ People don’t even know that this 4K thing exists ... that there is this spectacularly better television that’s available.”
THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS: Sony Electronics VP/Sales & Marketing John Studdert noted that companies like Netflix and Amazon “keep pushing each other” by mandating that their content be shot with various levels of 4K cameras, and that is helping to accelerate the speed of the technology’s wide-scale launch. Wagner said the desire to broadcast in 4K makes sense from a business perspective because, for sports fans in particular, “the better that experience, the longer they tune in, the more likely they are to spend money.” Furthermore, the cost of equipment is relatively cheap, with cameras capable of shooting major motion pictures going for no more than $30,000. By comparison, these same cameras went for $250K a decade ago. Meanwhile, Hellmuth said the NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, N.J., will have to be upgraded within three or four years to keep up with this new technology. And with his eye on the horizon, he added, “We don’t want to let LeBron James go without documenting him in 4K for the future.”
