When viewers watch a World Cup game, they don’t think about frame-rate conversion. They simply expect the pictures to look great.
Behind the scenes, however, broadcasters are constantly making technical decisions that have a direct impact on the viewing experience. During the 2026 World Cup, Sport TV faced one of those challenges.
Ibertelco has worked with Sport TV for many years, so when the team set out to improve the quality of its frame-rate conversion, they turned to us to find the right solution. Their existing on-premises system didn’t deliver the picture quality they expected, particularly when handling fast-moving sports content.
The timing added another layer of complexity. With the tournament already underway, there was no opportunity for a lengthy evaluation or a complex deployment. The solution needed to be implemented quickly and integrate seamlessly into Sport TV’s existing operations.
After testing Grass Valley’s Alchemist X, the choice became clear. As Filipe Tocha, Technical Director of IT and Broadcast Television at Sport TV commented, “We immediately saw the difference in quality. That gave us the confidence to put Alchemist X into production.”
Working closely with the Grass Valley team, Ibertelco deployed Alchemist X on an on-premises AMPP server using HD-SDI I/O. The implementation was smooth and caused no disruption to operations, allowing Sport TV to start using the system almost immediately.
The most important result was exactly what Sport TV was looking for: improved frame-rate conversion and a better viewing experience. In live sports, where every camera movement and replay matters, image quality can make a real difference.
The flexibility of the AMPP platform was another key advantage. While the immediate objective was to improve standards conversion during the World Cup, its software-based environment also gives Sport TV the flexibility to expand and evolve its workflow over time.
That flexibility is already reflected in ongoing discussions. Sport TV is evaluating further expansion of its AMPP environment, alongside a future project to modernize its infrastructure through a hybrid SDI/IP solution based on Grass Valley ACE cards and GV Orbit.
Projects like this remind us that technology is most valuable when it solves a real operational challenge. Sport TV wasn’t looking for new technology for its own sake. The team wanted higher-quality pictures, a solution that could be deployed quickly, and a trusted partner to help deliver it.
As a partner, that’s exactly the kind of partnership we value. Working closely with customers means understanding their operational challenges and helping them identify solutions that make a genuine difference, both today and as their infrastructure continues to evolve.
