Japan broadcaster NHK reveals Rugby World Cup screening locations

Japan TV broadcaster NHK reveals locations where it will screen the Rugby World Cup on huge 440-inch TVs in 8K.

The giant 440-inch 8k TV in Tokyo will offer viewers the clarity of being at the Rugby World Cup.

Japan TV broadcaster NHK has revealed key public locations where it will screen the Rugby World Cup on huge 440-inch TVs in 8K. It’s a trial run of the roll out of a bigger number of enormous 300-440 inch 8K screens that the public broadcaster plans to ready for next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

NHK last month announced that it would broadcast some of the Rugby World Cup in the ultra-high resolution 8K format. However 8K will only be used for specific matches at specific locations.

The four locations are Tokyo (a 440-inch 8K screen), Yokohama (440-inch), Osaka (350-inch) and Kamiashi (300-nch) in northern Japan.

The enormous 440-inch LED 8K Tokyo installation will offer 22.2 multi channel audio and show Japan v Ireland (Sept 28), semi final number 1 (Oct 26) and the final (Nov 2) in 8K. It will show some other matches in 4K.

The program guide for the giant 8K 440-inch TV during the Rugby World Cup.

The big 8K TV comprises 288 40cm by 45cm screens joined together. NHK has created a mini stadium around it with seating. Patrons obtain tickets to watch games there, hoping for a viewing experience with a clarity similar to the actual venue.

NHK has called it the Marunouchi Rugby Park. The seats will be packed once the cup games are underway. The program guide shows both 4K and 8K content that will be screened. Everything is big. There’s even a giant replica of the Rugby World Cup.

The Yokohama and Osaka screens will show Japan v Ireland in 8K, while the Kamiashi screen will show the final in 8K.

The 8K broadcasts will also be available through NHK’s 8K and 4K satellite service, but NHK says it will also show them on the huge 300-440 inch screens in public places so the broader population doesn’t miss out.

The 8K Rugby World Cup is a dry run for NHK which is planning its Tokyo 2020 Olympics 8K output. It sees the Olympic Games as a marketing opportunity for its 8K broadcasts and plans to install more huge 8K TV in public spaces across Japan for the Olympics.

World Rugby in a statement says NHK plans to use 34 cameras when filming 8K at the semi-finals.

NHK broadcasts the signal at a rate of about 100 megabits per second, at a fast 60 frames per second for smooth action viewing.

The 8K stream is compressed with High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC).

The program guide shows the first Rugby match to be broadcast in 8K.

It would be technically possible for NHK to stream 8K broadcasts across the world to other countries’ TV services including Australia. One hundred megabits per second is not an issue for fast fibre back haul. But showing its 8K broadcasts outside Japan is a rights issue with organisers firmly enforcing country specific broadcasting agreements.

8K is not a new venture for NHK. It began researching 8K in the mid 1990s and showed off the technology at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. That was before public 8K broadcasts began in Japan in December last year.

World Rugby and the International Games Broadcast Services (IGBS) are teaming up to push other games’ technical innovations to a world audience.

World Rugby says Japan 2019 will reach a broadcast rugby audience of more than 800 million households in 217 territories, surpassing the 683 million homes record in 2015.

Innovations include augmented reality (AR) graphics in 34 of the 48 matches for displaying team line-ups, player comparisons, statistics and tables. There will be infographics for the @rugbyworldcup social and digital platforms and Hawk-Eye replay technology for television match officials, medical and fan-engagement.

The 440-inch 8K TV in Tokyo.

World Rugby says it will geo-target fans so that they will know when and where to tune in to the cup.

Canon says it will provide highlight footage created by the Free Viewpoint Video System to the IGBS during seven matches. Canon says these video highlights feature viewpoints and angles not possible with conventional cameras.

Australian digital agency Versa says it has been working with Amazon to aid our friends across The Ditch by building an All Blacks skill for Amazon Alexa. Users can ask Alexa for All Blacks scores and hear them perform the Haka on their Alexa speaker.

The All Blacks skill is being rolled out in New Zealand, UK, US, Canada and Australia, given the team’s legendary fame internationally.

There is a big Kiwi build-up in Japan ahead of the cup with NHK sources telling The Australian that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had visited the broadcasters’ offices on Thursday.