The New York Times has some interesting data on how NBC has upgraded its high definition broadcasts of the Olympics this year compared to 2004:
Four years ago, when NBC broadcast the Athens Olympics, the network (which was the first United Says broadcaster to shoot the Olympics in HD) offered just 399 hours of HD coverage of six sports, plus the opening and closing ceremonies. Those lucky (or rich) enough to own an HD set were treated to entirely separate coverage, with a limited number of cameras and an entirely different, second-string announcing staff.
At this year’s Beijing Olympics, the entire event — approximately 1,700 hours spread across multiple channels, covering 34 sports in 37 venues — is being shot in HD, using the same cameras and the same on-air talent seen by those with standard-def sets. Thanks to sharp cost reductions, virtually each camera used — from studio cameras to the little “lipstick” cameras embedded in the archery targets that show you what it’s like to get hit by an arrow — are all HD.
Of course, that just makes the crummy Web video that NBC is putting on its site all the more annoying. But I would guess that in 2012, most, if not all, of the Olympics coverage on the Web will be in HD, as well.
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