NBC: 2008 Summer Olympics 'Coming Out Party' For HD
The network will show all coverage in high-def.
By Swanni
NBC has the rights to broadcast all 17 days of the 2008 Summer Olympics from China, which begin August 8, 2008.
In a keynote speech today to the HD World conference in New York, Neal said it will be the first Olympics ever that will be produced "100 percent in HD."
He said the extensive high-def coverage will help "get HD out of the niche and fully into the mainstream."
Approximately 30 million U.S. homes now have high-def sets, but Neal said the 2008 Summer Games will encourage many more to buy sets.
Neal said NBC -- and the governing Olympic committee -- will use 1,000 HD cameras to broadcast the games.
The network will install the majority of their cameras at the top-rated events, such as 15 cameras at the swimming venue and 20 cameras to cover gymnastics.
Neal acknowledged that NBC's HD coverage next year will be a far cry from the network's relatively meager offering for past Olympic events, such as the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Five years ago, NBC put the separate high-def feed on a 24-hour delay.
Next year, Neal said NBC will only broadcast one feed for both HD and standard-definition viewers "even though most viewers will still be watching SD." The SD picture will be cut at the middle to conform with the 4:3 format.
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