France Télévisions has revealed details of a project it carried out at this year’s French Open to test immersive 180-degree stereoscopic video livestreaming.
The annual RGLab tested two workflows. One captured content in 8K at 50 images per second, which was streamed in 4K per eye. According to the broadcaster, an innovative projection system enabled it to create a resolution of 37 pixels per degree for the central viewing angle.
Ateme handled the encoding for the stream, which was done using MV-HEVC. The technology reuses part of the left eye’s image to create the right eye’s image, enabling references to be both temporal and spatial (left eye). This approach allowed Ateme to reduce the bitrate by 33 per cent compared to encoding two independent streams, achieving a bitrate of around 36 Mbps.
The second workflow used a Blackmagic Cine Ursa immersive 16k camera, capable of filming at 90 images per second, which was deployed at various camera positions around Roland-Garros.
According to France Télévisions, the aim of the project was to evaluate the quality of images, while also studying the constraints linked to the implementation. The broadcaster said it now intends to offer immersive experiences via france.tv.
More details about the project are available in the interview below.
