Canadian quad-play operator Videotron says it has passed a major technological milestone by becoming the first telecommunications provider in Canada to release commercially an ultra-high-definition (UHD) set-top box across its entire service area. Combined with Videotron’s network capabilities, the set-top box will enable Videotron customers who have purchased a UHD television set to begin viewing content in UHD format when the service launches by summer’s end.

“As a leader in cable TV, Videotron hopes that its move into UHD will serve as a catalyst for the development of Canada’s UHD ecosystem and spur all the players in the distribution chain to follow suit, from the movie studios and post-production facilities to the broadcasters,” said Manon Brouillette, President and CEO of Videotron. “Consumers will be the winners. With the advent of UHD, it will be possible to create an astonishing television experience for viewers. In terms of both image quality and fast, fluid navigation through the interface, illico 4K UHD will give our customers what is unquestionably the best in technology and entertainment.”

In collaboration with global innovation technology leader Samsung, Videotron has enhanced its robust, reliable network to support UHD images and to carry the data volumes required for UHD broadcasting.

Videotron says that although UHD displays four times as many pixels on the screen, there is no risk that its network will become overburdened. “With our network capacity, you could install several 8-tuner 4K set-top boxes in a home and record on all of them simultaneously,” said Pierre Roy, Vice President, Engineering, Research & Development of Videotron.

Categories: Articles, Broadband, Cable, Equipment, UHD, Ultra-HD/4K