The 2023 Rugby World Cup matches and the 2024 Olympic Games will be broadcast in 4K resolution by MultiChoice, according to TechCentral.
According to reports, MultiChoice Group chief operating officer Simon Camerer said there is much to consider before offering the tournaments in ultra-high definition (UHD) and that negotiations with content providers have not yet reached an agreement.
It is part of the company’s aim to offer 4K resolution for key global sports events.
At the time of publication, MultiChoice had not responded to MyBroadband’s questions.
“We will get to a point where 4K becomes more prevalent,” TechCentral quoted Camerer as saying.
Fifa World Cup 2022 games were televised in 4K resolution by the pay-TV broadcaster.
Four times as many pixels are available in 4K UHD (2160p) than in full high definition (1080p), resulting in sharper, more detailed images.
“It is our intention to do this after we set a bar around the soccer World Cup,” Camerer said.
For the 2022 Fifa World Cup, DStv’s channel resolution was capped at full HD, using an interlaced scan (1080i), rather than a progressive scan (i.e. 1080p).
In October 2022, the broadcaster told MyBroadband that to watch the Fifa World Cup games in UHD, subscribers would need the Explora Ultra or DStv Streama.
Rugby World Cups and Olympic Games are likely to follow the same pattern.
“Not only will MultiChoice be broadcasting in 4K UHD video resolution but also HDR and 50P [50 frames per second, progressive scan], which is double the frame rate of the standard 25P we use for HD,” it added.
A DStv subscription that includes SuperSport channels is required to watch the Rugby World Cup in UHD.
As of 1 April 2023, only DStv Premium subscribers will have access to all of SuperSport’s rugby channels.
From 1 April, DStv’s Access Fee will be R115, enabling features such as Catch Up and personal video recording.
A streaming-only DStv Premium service will remain R699 per month, said MultiChoice.
However, MultiChoice subscribers can only stream to one device at a time.
Screencasting remains problematic as a result of its crackdown on password sharing with its one-device streaming limit.
Thus, DStv streaming-only subscribers must own a TV with a DStv app or a media box like an Apple TV, an Android TV device, or a DStv Streama.
A new security system will allow DStv to increase the number of simultaneous streams by mid-2023, according to Camerer.
