With 400GB/s throughput and 4,000TB of SSD storage, the Las Vegas Sphere is the only 16K display in the world. It will take some advanced technology to keep it running.
Ultra-high-resolution content is streamed to both exterior and interior screens using Hitachi Vantara software.
Some of the technology that powers the Las Vegas Sphere has already been covered by us, including the ultra-high definition 18K camera system and the 16K inside LED panel. Information regarding the storage used by the enormous concert and entertainment venue east of the Las Vegas Strip has already surfaced.
Every aspect of the Sphere is state-of-the-art, and Hitachi Vantara has provided information on how its software technology interprets the immersive and original content created by the Sphere and assists in streaming it to the Sphere’s 580,000 square-foot Exosphere as well as its 160,000 square-foot internal LED display.
A crucial component of everything is Hitachi Content Software for File, which Hitachi defines as a “high-performance, software-defined, distributed parallel filesystem storage solution”. It has 27 nodes and 4PB of flash storage that may be used for playback inside of Sphere.
Earthly postcard
The 7thSense media servers receive content from the system in real-time, with each server providing 4K video at 60 frames per second. This is a first for the globe in terms of technology capability at this size, as one could anticipate.
Hitachi Vantara Chief Product Officer Octavian Tanase stated, “Sphere represents a new, completely immersive, and visually powerful entertainment experience.” To ensure that the underlying technology was up to the task, Hitachi Vantara collaborated closely with the Sphere team to test, assess, and improve the data processing, streaming, and projection processes. The color and resolution are of the highest caliber, and this project has surpassed our already lofty standards.”
The system has to manage over 400GB/s of throughput at sub 5 milliseconds of latency and a 12-bit color display at a 444 subsampling for Darren Aronofsky’s original immersive film, Postcard from Earth.
“Sphere Entertainment is home to many firsts, one of which is streaming immersive, high-resolution video content on a scale that has never been done before,” stated Alex Luthwaite, SVP of Show Systems Technology. “Hitachi Vantara worked with our team to develop a solution that’s fast, reliable, and efficient.”