We’ve previously covered some of the incredible technology behind the $2.3 billion Las Vegas Sphere, including the 18K camera sensor that feeds it and the 4PB SSD storage it uses.
Now, Nvidia has revealed its involvement in the jaw-dropping spherical arena, noting the Sphere’s nearly 750,000 square feet of LED displays are driven by 150 Nvidia RTX A6000 GPUs.
These power the venue’s 16x16K resolution interior screen as well as the 1.2 million programmable LED pucks that cover the outside to make up the world’s largest LED display, known as the Exosphere.
Nvidia’s critical involvement
Nvidia’s BlueField DPUs and ConnectX-6 Dx NICs use DOCA Firefly Service and Rivermax software to synchronize all of the display panels smoothly, reducing delays, and eliminating jitter. Content created at Sphere Studios in Burbank is streamed in real-time to Las Vegas workstations equipped with Nvidia GPUs, delivering three-layer 16K resolution at 60 frames per second. At 16K the display has the same number of pixels per inch as would be found by arranging four 4K-resolution screens in a grid of two rows and two columns.
“The integration of Nvidia RTX GPUs, BlueField DPUs, and Rivermax software creates a powerful trifecta of advantages for modern accelerated computing, supporting the unique high-resolution video streams and strict timing requirements needed at Sphere and setting a new standard for media processing capabilities,” said Nir Nitzani, senior product director for networking software at Nvidia. “This collaboration results in remarkable performance gains, culminating in the extraordinary experiences guests have at Sphere.”
Built over four years, the arena has already hosted a U2 concert and Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard From Earth, and The Eagles and Pink making full use of the venue’s immersive technologies for multisensory cinematic experiences, including high-resolution visuals and immersive sound, delivered via 167,000 individual speakers.
“Sphere is captivating audiences not only in Las Vegas but also around the world on social media, with immersive LED content delivered at a scale and clarity that has never been done before,” said Alex Luthwaite, senior vice president of show systems technology at Sphere Entertainment. “This would not be possible without the expertise and innovation of companies such as Nvidia that are critical to helping power our vision, working closely with our team to redefine what is possible with cutting-edge display technology.”
