Comcast To Deliver Olympic Games In Dolby Atmos And Dolby Vision For The Ultimate Viewing Experience

Comcast will offer the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in both Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos immersive audio for the first time ever.

For all of those audiophiles out there, Comcast (parent to NBCUniversal) will offer the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in both Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. Subscribers to the cable giant’s Xfinity TV service—including its X1, Flex and Xfinity Stream app—will have access to the multichannel audio formats while watching NBC Sports’ nightly primetime show, the Opening and Closing ceremonies, and numerous individual sports. Viewers will also be able to customize their viewing experience for the first time via the Comcast Flex aggregation interface.

Dolby Atmos provides an “immersive audio experience” as it adds height to a surround presentation, resulting in 5.1.2 audio channels. The Atmos data stream renders the audio in the home to the areas within the sound field where the mixer placed them originally. This is a real benefit to sports broadcasters, as its 3D audio effect better captures the excitement of live sports.

The Olympic games will be captured live in Tokyo in HDR (Dolby Vision) and mixed in Dolby Atmos, when it will be delivered by NBC to multichannel video providers and OTT properties in the U.S. It is then up to each operator to choose whether they want to deliver the events in HDR/Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos to their viewers at no additional cost (although you need an Atmos-compatible Xi6 cable box in your home to experience it fully). To enjoy the games in Dolby Atmos, a compatible audio system and Xfinity cable box—such as the models Xi6 or XG1v4—are also required.

All Comcast Xfinity ("X1") Internet customers with eligible devices will also be able to enjoy live coverage of the Olympic golf competition on the Golf Channel and tennis and wrestling via the Olympic Channel—in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. These Internet-connected subs will also be able to view the re-airing of the show the next day. Live competition coverage of all Tokyo Olympic programming on GOLF Channel and the Olympic Channel will be made available in 4K HDR throughout the Games.

To enjoy the games in Dolby Atmos, a compatible home multi-channel audio system and Xfinity cable box are required.

NBC’s primetime coverage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will also be presented in 4K HDR. Individual events to be featured in 4K HDR during this summer’s Games include gymnastics, track & field, swimming, diving, beach volleyball, golf, tennis and other sports. NBCUniversal will distribute the 4K HDR coverage to U.S. distribution partners, who will individually choose how to make the content available to their customers.

These 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) telecasts will be upconverted from 1080i HD, which NBC Sports is using to produce this year’s Summer Olympics games. It will be delivered by NBC Sports natively in the 1080i HDR format in stereo as well as mixed in Dolby Atmos (5.1 channels) and then sent to operators, like Comcast, which will take the native HDR feed and Dolby Atmos mix.

Much of the stereo and multi-channel audio mixing for NBC will be completed in Tokyo and in NBC Sports’ Stamford, Conn. headquarters with a variety of Calrec audio consoles.

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