Sony plans a major May 1 announcement in...

Mike Fasulo told reporters in a briefing Sunday here in Las Vegas at the NAB Show. Sports “is probably the most complex live production that you can do, so it’s probably going to be a couple of years before you see major sporting events done live in 4K,” said Alec Shapiro, president of Sony Professional Solutions of America. “The interest is certainly there.” At a Sports Video Group conference this past weekend, “where a lot of the sports production experts get together, this was the topic of their conversation,” Shapiro said. “They're all looking at how they do it. So I think they're all interested.” NBC with Comcast tested a live 4K transmission from the Sochi Olympics through a center in Philadelphia, “so it’s certainly top of mind,” Shapiro said. But in predicting how long it takes to get there, “there’s a lot of components to the production chain,” he said. “It’s not just the cameras. It’s switchers, it’s infrastructure, graphics. Everything you see today in 2K, you have to have in 4K.” The good news is that all the new production trucks are being built with 4K “capabilities, so we're getting there,” Shapiro said. Moreover, FIFA plans to shoot 4K footage of this summer’s World Cup quarterfinals, semifinals and final, Shapiro said. Though it’s doubtful any country televising World Cup to fans back home will do so in live 4K, FIFA plans to assemble a highlight video for distribution after World Cup for demonstration purposes, he said.