Advanced Television

Rogers unveils gigabit Internet, 4K live sports

October 7, 2015

Canadian quad-play operator Rogers says it is bringing customers the next big thing in home entertainment with the launch of 4K-ready gigabit Internet speeds, a new 4K set-top box, Rogers 4K TV and the world’s largest commitment to live broadcasting in 4K with HDR.

Customers will enjoy live 4K TV broadcasts – four times the pixels of HD for higher resolution and improved motion video. Rogers will also introduce high dynamic range (HDR) – a leading edge technology that produces real-life images with richer colour saturation, contrast and resolution – in April 2016 for the Blue Jays home opener.

“4K TV sets have been in the market for some time and 40 per cent of all TV sales are likely to be 4K this holiday season. However, until now live TV broadcasts in 4K have been few and far between and customers have not been able to get 4K set-top boxes,” said Guy Laurence, President and CEO, Rogers Communications. “We are solving both problems in one go with the world’s largest commitment to 4K broadcasting and a new 4K set-top box for customers that will allow customers to see sports and entertainment in the highest resolution and with the fastest internet speeds. 4K gets you closer to the action than the linesman and first base coach, and HDR brings those images to life with intense colour and contrast.”

Rogers customers will be able to access over 500 hours of live sports, movies and shows in 4K beginning in 2016, including:

  • Every Toronto Blue Jays 2016 season home game (81) broadcast in 4K with HDR live on Sportsnet

  • Over 20 marquee NHL games broadcast this season in 4K on Sportsnet, starting with the January 23rd Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs game

  • Over 100 hours of 4K movies, series and TV shows on shomi

  • An ever-growing catalogue of Netflix original series in 4K such as Narcos, Marvel’s Daredevil, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Sense8, Grace and Frankie, Chef’s Table, Bloodline, House of Cards and more

“As Canada’s highest rated sports television network, Sportsnet continues to lead in innovative sports production with the introduction of 4K and HDR. We look forward to giving our viewers the latest and best quality broadcasts in the world,” said Scott Moore, President, Sportsnet & NHL Properties, Rogers.

“Canadians love shomi and they will be able to enjoy an even sharper, higher resolution image when they are watching great movies and shows in 4K,” said David Asch, Senior Vice President and General Manager, shomi. “4K content is on our roadmap and we look forward to delivering it to Canadians for the ultimate viewing experience.”

“The number of devices connected to the Internet in the home is increasing and they are consuming more Internet every month. With our Gigabit roll out, customers can watch TV in 4K and still have all their devices in their home streaming movies and shows with clearer picture quality and less buffering,” said Laurence, noting that it is an experience that telephone copper wire technology cannot deliver. “We don’t have to pick and choose which customers can access the fastest speeds, our technology will deliver it to virtually all our customers. Canadians shouldn’t have to wait for the best home entertainment experience and fastest Internet speeds.”

A new partnership with Netflix will directly connect the Rogers network to Netflix servers, enabling a better Netflix experience with faster start-up times and superior image quality. Netflix will also be available on select cable set top boxes and Android devices from Rogers.

“Our partnership with Rogers will make it even easier for Netflix members to watch their favourite shows and films on their TVs,” said Bill Holmes, global head of business development at Netflix. “Members with a Rogers 4K set-top box will be able to enjoy Netflix original series in 4K, a more immersive experience with stunning picture quality.”

Categories: Articles, Broadband, Broadcast, Cable, Equipment, In Home, OTT, OTT, Pay TV, Production, STB, UHD, Ultra-HD/4K