Advanced Television

Ultra-HD/4K

HDR takes ‘Top Paper’ prize at IBC

High Dynamic Range (HDR) is an extremely hot topic, and is the Holy Grail being sought by content producers, high-end broadcasters and the TV consumer electronics industry. They all see HDR as a highly desirable next step for Ultra-HD transmissions. The IBC technology show has recognised the importance of HDR by awarding its 2015 Conference […]

July 30, 2015By Chris Forrester

Harmonic powers Japan 4K channel

Harmonic, a specialist in video delivery infrastructure, has announced that Japanese cable TV operator EHIME CATV has deployed Harmonic’s Electra X3 advanced media processor to support a trial of the country’s first live, full-frame 4K Ultra HD channel. Utilising the Electra X3 media processor to encode UHD content using the HEVC Main 10 codec, EHIME […]

July 28, 2015

Sky’s new 4K box ready to go

Sky’s ground-breaking ‘Project Ethan’ set-top box is ready to be announced shortly, according to widespread media reports over the weekend. The UK’s Sunday Telegraph said the unit, now dubbed the SkyQ box, will enable users to record four channels at the same time and – at long last – permit subscribers to transfer some programming […]

July 27, 2015By Chris Forrester

Analyst: ‘Ultra HD investment hitting new highs’

Ultra HD programming is expected to see strong take-up rates globally, with failure to invest now will mean a failure to tap into its growing premium revenues, according to Alan Crisp, Analyst at satellite industry market research and consulting services firm NSR. Writing in NSR’s ‘Bottom Line’ Blog, Crisp says

July 24, 2015

SES has 5 UHD channels signed up

SES has signed agreements for a further three UHD channels to be launched by the end of the year, and these are in addition to the 4K service already announced for Sky Deutschland and a shopping channel (pearl.tv) scheduled to launch in September. CEO Karim Michel Sabbagh, in the SES half-year financial statement, said that […]

July 24, 2015By Chris Forrester

SES claims UHD MSO trial first

Satellite operator SES has initiated the first-ever live and linear Ultra HD (UHD) trial with US cable MSO (Multiple System Operator) Armstrong. Armstrong is testing SES’s camera-to-screen Ultra HD ecosystem at its headquarters cable lab in Butler, Pennsylvania. SES’s Ultra HD offering, first unveiled in April 2015 at the NAB Conference, combines broadcast and IP […]

July 20, 2015

Netflix eyes UHD boost

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has suggested the Internet entertainment streaming service will benefit from the growth of 4K/Ultra-HD television. Speaking during Netflix’s Q2 2015 Results Earnings Call, Hastings noted that with the service’s top plan – the Ultra-HD four-stream plan – there were two drivers. “There’s people who have big families and want to watch […]

July 17, 2015By Colin Mann

4K Film Festival for Spain

Satellite operator Hispasat is organising an international 4K Film Festival for short movies. Hispasat says its competition is open to films produced in any country and genre, with a maximum duration of 20 minutes as long as they are shot in 4K format. The call for entries began July 14 and runs to September 23. […]

July 17, 2015By Chris Forrester

BT reveals Ultra HD prices

BT has announced details of its new BT TV Ultra HD package, which includes Europe’s very first live sports Ultra HD (4K) channel, BT Sport Ultra HD, and the company’s new BT TV Ultra HD set top box. The new channel will launch with its first live broadcast being the FA Community Shield match at […]

July 17, 2015

Ultra-HD boost from Sky Deutschland

Satellite operator SES has confirmed that Sky Deutschland has secured additional capacity for Ultra-HD broadcasts on ASTRA at 19.2 degrees East. “At Sky Deutschland, we believe in being innovative with our offerings and providing our customers with the best television experience, and have therefore been investing in Ultra-HD. The agreement with SES gives us planning […]

July 16, 2015