Why can't ITTF videos be HD like USA Table Tennis???

[ttbatman]

Hi guys, I just wanted to ask why the ITTF never seems to produce HD quality videos? The 2016 US National Championships took place recently and if you look at the video you can see how good it looks visually:

Any thoughts?

 

[Xylit]

It is not only the quality that is better. I like the light setting and the fact that the surrounding fans are able to sit that close to the box. Event character!

 

[brabhamista]

Hi guys, I just wanted to ask why the ITTF never seems to produce HD quality videos? The 2016 US National Championships took place recently and if you look at the video you can see how good it looks visually:

Any thoughts?

OK, here's my take on it. It's not for technical reasons, it's about revenue.

USATT doesn't rely on selling the TV rights to generate income. There simply is no broadcasting market for US comps either within the US or abroad. They provide the broadcasts as a service and can choose any resolution they so wish.

ITTF on the other hand does rely on selling TV rights in terms of generating income.
If the ITTF broadcasted all tournaments for free in full HD they would shoot themselves in the foot. It would remove any reason to buy the broadcasting rights for any country willing to pay and would result in lost income for the ITTF.
The solution is to sell full HD commercially and provide lower quality internet streaming. It's a compromise which allows for ITTF income side by side with a free service to fans online.

Broadcasting all tournaments and a very generous amount of matches from each of them for free is unheard of in other sports. As table tennis fans, we are truly lucky to get that and I think we should be grateful for it. The drawback is however that we don't get HD online. But we do get passable quality and plenty of matches. All for free. It's a deal that doesn't suck, IMHO.

 

[violoniste18]

I agree about it, brabhamista, I could pay too to see HD videos rather than low quality

 

[Cornel]

Actually, at the most important events, there is live HD streaming from channels like Eurosport, and that confirms once again what brabhamista has said before. The real problem is that when no channel wants to buy the broadcasting rights, we don't have the opportunity to watch HD matches, and, unfortunately, that happens at all events, except for the biggest ones like WTTC. Even Eurosport seems not to have too much interest in streaming table tennis. If I remember correctly, some of the major matches at the most recent WTTC weren't streamed live, even if they were in a pretty advanced stage.

 

[CroneOne]

I think it's purely the flat, orthographic long lens angle that they use.
Look at how interesting the China Olympic warm up matches look from that one angle.