Intel AI Platforms Showcase World’s First 8K OTT Broadcast at Olympic Games Paris 2024

By Pickle August 13, 2024

This technology sets the stage for the democratization of 8K displays, following the transitions from SD to HD, and then to 4K

Watching your favorite live Olympic sport from the comfort of your home in 8K video resolution is now a reality. At the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Intel will demonstrate this groundbreaking achievement, thanks to collaborations with Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and various broadcasters and partners worldwide.

As the Official Worldwide AI Platform Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Intel will introduce innovative AI experiences based on the company’s hardware and software, enabling next-generation engagement for fans, organizers, athletes, and viewers globally.

Key Details:

Intel’s AI-optimized broadcast servers, powered by the latest 5th Gen Intel® Xeon® processors (Emerald Rapids) and 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® processors (Sapphire Rapids) with Intel® AI accelerator (AMX) and Deep Learning Boost technology, will encode and compress OBS-produced 8K live signals. Intel will compress live raw feeds measuring 48 gigabits per second (Gbps) into a VVC-enabled livestream of 40 to 60 megabits per second (Mbps), achieving a compression ratio of 1,000 times in under 400 milliseconds. The 8K OTT broadcast will be delivered by OBS around the world to 8K TVs connected to Intel-enabled PCs. Intel has previously powered OBS to livestream 416 hours of Olympic Games content and processed 4.7 petabytes of data at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Broadcast Process:

Capture: Broadcast-grade cameras in select Olympic Games venues capture live content in 8K at 60 frames per second in high definition (HDR) at 48 Gbps bitrate mixed with 32 audio channels.
Encoding: A purpose-built “broadcast in a box” encoder powered by the latest 5th Gen Intel Xeon CPUs processes the raw content in less than 400 milliseconds.

Distribution: The content is distributed across the internet and decoded by Intel® Core™ i9 processor-based PCs with Intel® Arc™ graphics processing units and Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 processor-based laptops in real time before displaying on 8K TVs.

Future of 8K Technology:

Intel’s innovations, such as the Xeon® Scalable processors with Intel® Advanced Matrix Extensions (Intel® AMX), AI accelerator, and Intel® Deep Learning Boost (Intel® DL Boost), are crucial for encoding live 8K/60FPS/HDR raw feed in milliseconds. This technology sets the stage for the democratization of 8K displays, following the transitions from SD to HD, and then to 4K.

AI and 8K Distribution:

Intel’s AI platform technologies, including Intel® AMX AI accelerators and Intel® DL Boost, enable complex AI workloads to run efficiently. These technologies allow for fast-moving data processing without compromising latency and quality. The overall latency from camera to TV is just a few seconds.

“We leverage these technologies in our Xeon CPUs to analyze each scene, frame by frame, and to train our algorithms to process fast-moving data without compromising on latency and quality,” said Ravi Velhal, global content technology strategist and 8K lead in the Software and Advanced Technology Group at Intel. “Together with our industry and technology partners, we are solving the world’s biggest distribution roadblock that stands in the way of 8K live broadcasts. Paris 2024 proves that the future of low-latency, high-definition 8K livestreaming is here.”

Intel will work with OBS to stream selected events from Paris to Intel campuses and broadcasters worldwide.