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TNT, the Paris 2024 Olympics in Ultra HD 4K HDR10 and Dolby Atmos

We have been talking to you for years in our columns about the evolution of French DTT on the occasion of the global event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Olympic and Paralympic Games). Today, Delphine Ernotte, president of France TV, officially announces the Ultra HD 4K broadcast of all Games events on France 2 and France 3.

The interview with Delphine Ernotte, carried out by our colleagues from the professional magazine Smart Integration Mag, can be discovered below.

The essential DTT for France TV

After recalling that DTT is by far the most virtuous audio-video broadcasting solution in terms of energy consumption compared to streaming (ten times less consuming, she specifies), that it turns out to be the only vector free available to the viewer to access the entire public service offering and that two out of five French people benefit from France TV content via digital terrestrial television, it addresses the issue of Ultra HD 4K technology.

TNT called to offer the best of technology dixit France TV

She explains that the public service aims to “give the best to our viewers”, even more so for an event that only occurs every 100 years. Especially since Ultra HD 4K technology proves to be perfectly suited to the strong constraints linked to sports broadcasts (multiple and rapid movements). For this, TNT will evolve but not only for sport. Delphine Ernotte declares that the technical package implemented for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will subsequently benefit the entire France TV program offering.

France 2 UHD 4K and France 3 UHD 4K, speed of 16 Mb/s on DTT

Namely, the spectacle of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games promises to be magnificent. On this occasion, the bandwidth of the France 2 and France 3 channels will be 16 Mb/s at constant speed, therefore occupying almost the entire bandwidth actually available from the dedicated UHD repeater, i.e. 33.6 Mb/s. Please note also, while the first information reported native UHD 4K on France 2 and UHD 4K Upscaling on France 3, the broadcast of the Paris 2024 Olympics will indeed be in native Ultra HD 4K on France 2 and France 3.

TNT HDR10 and Dolby Atmos for the Paris 2024 Olympics

From our discussions with several technicians at the heart of the system planned for the Olympic/Paralympic Games, we know that the broadcast will be in UHD 4K HDR10 and Dolby Atmos (AC4), all in progressive at 50 images (50p) and in HEVC . An E-AC3 (Dolby Digital Plus) stream will also be required to ensure compatibility with the oldest 4K UHD televisions without AC4. Concerning the sequel, if at the time of writing these lines no information filters on the interest of other TNT channels for UHD (unofficially several of them, among the most important, are on the spot but the associated costs pose a problem), certain France TV programs could quickly benefit from UHD 4 HDR10/Dolby Atmos. Mentioned in particular are the Six Nations Tournament, certain Football matches (Coupe de France), the Music Festival and of course Roland-Garros, the latter serving as a test for FTV for years. On the other hand, when we mentioned the Tour de France, the reaction was less enthusiastic, due to greater technical complexity.

TNT Ultra HD 4K, when is it coming?

On the other hand, if the initial deployment schedule for France 2 4K and France 3 4K mentioned their availability from September, in particular the first salvo concerning the largest cities in the metropolis (Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse , Nantes, Lille…) is delayed by a few months, to the first quarter of 2024 to be precise.