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MagyarSphere Entertainment reveals technology details behind world’s largest 16,000 x 16,000 pixel LED display at the Las Vegas Sphere
Sphere Entertainment has revealed additional details on the technology that run the world’s largest, highest-resolution display used to provide an immersive experience inside its $2.3 billion Las Vegas venue named The Sphere. This provides a preview of what will be possible in future home entertainment and displays.
Display technology has advanced rapidly with the advances in silicon chip and display manufacturing. Screen resolutions for home consumers have advanced from 2K (2MP, 1080p, 1993) to 4K (8MP, 2160p, 2012) to 8K (33MP, 4320p, 2022) as GPUs have increased in power from the 1999 3Dfx Voodoo 3 to today’s Nvidia 4090.
The Sphere uses a 16,000 x 16,000 pixel indoor display that is fed by a 27 node Hitachi Vantara file system pulling video from 4 petabytes of storage (equivalent to over two-hundred 20 terabyte drives). The video stream goes into a network of 7thSense Actor media servers outputting 4K at 60 fps each across an IP network (SMPTE ST 2110) with sub-5 millisecond lag to the display.
This suggests that the Sphere is using meshed 4K (3,840 x 2,160) outputs to fill the huge display. Divide the two resolutions and that’s 5 by 8 rounded up, which means The Sphere probably requires forty 4K 60fps video streams.
The audio is similarly impressive with 464 Holoplot X1 MD-90 (90 drivers) and MD-80S (80 drivers) modules up front as the main stage speakers. An additional 280 Holoplots are arranged across the LED display with additional Holoplot arrays placed throughout The Sphere for effects, surround, and fill.
In short, over 400 GB per second is needed to show a Sphere movie at 12-bit color depth with 4:4:4 subsampling on the 160,000 sq. ft display (approx. 2.7 football fields) with 167,000 speakers inside 1,578 Holoplot X1 beamforming modules in front of an audience of 18,600.
Consumers can thank Moore’s Law for the exponential leap in graphics card performance and display resolution that has occurred every decade, which means 16K technology should arrive in homes by 2032. In the meantime, why not enjoy an awesome 4K OLED monitor for gaming and media (like this at Amazon) until you find $2.3 billion in spare change.
Source(s)
MARCH 7, 2024
Sphere Entertainment And Hitachi Vantara Reveal New Details On Powering High-Resolution Video Content At Sphere
Hitachi Vantara helps stream immersive content on Sphere’s 160,000 square-foot interior LED display and 580,000 square-foot Exosphere
Hitachi Vantara’s software technology processes Sphere’s original content with speed and reliability
LAS VEGAS, Nev. & SANTA CLARA, Calif. – March 7, 2024 — Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) and Hitachi Vantara, the data storage, infrastructure and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., revealed new details today on how the two companies leverage Hitachi Vantara’s data processing software to help power the LED screens at Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium in Las Vegas. Both Sphere’s 160,000 square-foot interior LED display plane and 580,000 square-foot fully programmable LED exterior – the Exosphere – utilize Hitachi Vantara’s software as a key tool to stream high-resolution immersive content.
“Sphere is home to many firsts, one of which is streaming immersive, high-resolution video content on a scale that has never been done before,” said Alex Luthwaite, SVP, Show Systems Technology, Sphere Entertainment. “Hitachi Vantara worked with our team to develop a solution that’s fast, reliable, and efficient. Through their expertise and technology, Sphere’s displays deliver content that is captivating audiences not only in the venue in Las Vegas, but also around the world on social media.”
With the world’s highest resolution LED screen inside the venue and the largest LED screen on the exterior, Sphere leaned on Hitachi Vantara to deliver solutions to stream video content on an unprecedented scope. For its original immersive film, Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth, the system handles over 400 gigabytes a second of throughput at sub 5 milliseconds of latency and a 12-bit color display at a 444 subsampling. Hitachi Vantara utilized its storage platform Hitachi Content Software for File, a high-performance, software-defined, distributed parallel filesystem storage solution.
“Sphere represents a new, completely immersive and visually powerful entertainment experience,” said Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer, Hitachi Vantara. “To make sure that the technology behind it was ready to meet the challenge, Hitachi Vantara worked closely with the Sphere team to test, measure, and enhance how the data is processed, streamed, and projected. Quality-wise, the resolution and color are second to none, and this project has exceeded our already high expectations.”
The Hitachi Content Software for File system consists of 27 nodes, with 4PB of flash storage for playback within Sphere and streamed in real-time to 7thSense media servers, each streaming 4K video at 60 frames per second – a world-first in terms of technology capability at this scale. Hitachi Vantara’s technology enables Sphere to deliver extremely low latency and high throughput, creating an unforgettable experience for audiences during Postcard from Earth. Hitachi Vantara also partnered with Sphere to produce the same reliable capabilities at Sphere Studios’ Big Dome, a 28,000 square-foot, 100-foot-high custom geodesic dome in Burbank, CA with a quarter-sized version of the screen at Sphere in Las Vegas. Big Dome serves as a specialized screening, production facility, and lab for the Sphere Studios team to develop original content exclusively for Sphere.
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About Sphere:
Sphere is a next-generation entertainment medium that is redefining the future of live entertainment. A venue where the foremost artists, creators, and technologists create extraordinary experiences that take storytelling to a new level and transport audiences to places both real and imagined. The venue hosts original Sphere Experiences from leading Hollywood directors; concerts and residencies from the world’s biggest artists; and premier marquee events. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023, and is a new Las Vegas landmark, powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and enable audiences to share experiences at a never-before-seen scale. More information is available at thesphere.com.
About Sphere Entertainment Co.
Sphere Entertainment Co. is a premier live entertainment and media company. The Company includes Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium powered by cutting-edge technologies to redefine the future of entertainment. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023. In addition, the Company includes MSG Networks, which operates two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG Sportsnet, as well as a direct-to-consumer and authenticated streaming product, MSG+, delivering a wide range of live sports content and other programming. More information is available at sphereentertainmentco.com.
About Hitachi Vantara
Hitachi Vantara is transforming the way data fuels innovation. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Vantara provides the data foundation the world’s leading innovators rely on. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth. To learn more, visit www.hitachivantara.com.
