NBC Sports will use a software-based Edge solution to deliver live 4K HDR broadcasts with immersive audio to local stations and affiliates. The Harmonic-enabled broadcast distribution at scale in UHD HDR spans the full course of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games from Beijing.

Harmonic’s XOS Edge solution streamlines all Olympic feeds from Beijing, enabling live 4K HDR broadcasts of the Opening Ceremony and nightly primetime coverage of the Winter Games, while ensuring the highest possible quality for HDR audiences. It is deployed at participating affiliate stations for automatic switching between UHD HDR for Olympics coverage and HD for local news reporting.

“With only half a year separating the Summer and Winter Games, Harmonic’s ability to optimize XOS to reduce the number of staff needed to operate commercial integration across participating stations while maintaining high video/audio quality and system stability was critical,” said Anil Abraham, Sr. Director Architecture & Engineering, NBCUniversal.

“Harmonic helped NBC Sports deliver the first-ever broadcast distribution of UHD HDR at scale and is proud to be part of this next important milestone for the industry,” said Shahar Bar, Senior Vice President, Video Products and Corporate Development, Harmonic. “It’s yet another way that our video technology is pushing forward innovation to bring immersive experiences and even greater impact to live sports events.”