Helping Sphere take shape: redefining the future of entertainment

You may have heard of the Las Vegas Sphere, you might even have witnessed the breathtaking visual spectacle in action, but what you may not know is that Hitachi Vantara is responsible for bringing this state-of-the-art entertainment venue to life through next-generation data-processing software.

Making history…

Sphere, a joint endeavour between Hitachi Vantara and Sphere Entertainment Co., represents not just one, but many, technology firsts, and is the result of a three-year commitment to equip the world’s highest-resolution LED screens with unprecedented 400+GB/s speeds for real-time video.

Powering this world-first optical feast, inclusive of the Sphere’s 160,000 square-foot interior and 580,000 square-foot exterior, is Hitachi Content Software for File (HCSF), which enables the fully programmable LED displays to stream immersive, high-resolution video content on a truly grand scale.

In terms of technical specification, HCSF uses 27 nodes, with 4PB of flash storage for playback, streamed in real time to 7thSense media servers, each outputting 4K video at 60fps. The result: extremely low latency (sub-5ms) and ultra-high throughput that creates unforgettable audience experiences.

…Then repeating the feat…

In ordinary terms, creating a visual sensation on an unmatched scale would warrant time for reflection. But, at Hitachi Vantara, we strive continuously to push the boundaries of technology innovation, so, instead of stopping, we chose instead to produce the same capabilities at yet another facility.

Sphere Studios’ Big Dome is a 28,000 square-foot, 100-foot-high custom geodesic dome in Burbank, CA. It is equipped with a screen one-quarter the size of its Las Vegas sister, and operates, exclusively, as a specialized screening, production facility, and lab for the Sphere Studios team to develop original content.

It, therefore, demands the same operational specifications to guarantee consistent performance, and so Hitachi Vantara undertook yet another key project to support Sphere Entertainment Co. in helping bring its long-term vision to redefine the future of entertainment to life.

…With yet more to come

And this technology alliance continues to show no signs of slowing down.

Plans have already been drawn for yet more collaboration between Hitachi Vantara and Sphere Entertainment Co.’s parent company, Madison Square Garden Group, to retrofit and revolutionize entertainment venues from across the world—beginning, in earnest, with Radio City Music Hall, home of the world-famous Radio City Rockettes.

As key contributors to these landmark feats of immersive technology innovation, Hitachi Vantara continues to live up to its ongoing mission of Inspiring the Future of Good. And our deepest thanks go out to Sphere Entertainment Co., alongside all our other partners, for entrusting us to deliver the next generation of technological excellence. 

If you’d like to continue reading about the Las Vegas Sphere and the contribution we made, you can uncover more key details in our latest press release. Or, if you’d like to see how else we’re redefining the technology landscape for the better and helping to bring the future into reality, you can read more about the work we do with organizations like yours with in our customer stories.