Cisco customers bullish on 4K
September 7, 2016
By Colin Mann
As IBC approaches, communications technologist Cisco has confirmed that it is to showcase progress made by its global service provider customers to offer consumers the 4K immersive entertainment experience.
According to the Cisco VNI Forecast 2015 – 2020, by 2020, more than 40 per cent of connected flat-panel TV Sets will be 4K. The study also expects that 4K IP VoD will account for 21 per cent of global VoD traffic in 2020.
Cisco technology solutions help enable scalable 4K video processing and improved screen resolution including middleware, 4K encoders, headend technology, and 4K video content security solutions including streaming piracy prevention (SPP), and piracy analytics.
“Today we are showcasing significant progress made by our leading global service provider customers to offer consumers the 4K immersive entertainment experience,” said Conrad Clemson, senior vice president, general manager, Service Provider Video Software, Cisco. “4K is on everyone’s agenda, and we are helping make it a reality.”
Highlights include:
- beIN, which offers advanced sports and entertainment video experiences to its viewers across 20+ countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), launched the first satellite receiver to record in 4K to its subscribers, along with a dedicated 4K channel (beIN 4K).
- MTG-owned Viasat, which launched its dedicated 4K channel in Sweden to broadcast Olympics coverage in 4K.
“We are working closely with Cisco to extend our DTH platform with new services that offer our subscribers a secure, immersive entertainment experience,” said Israel Esteban, executive director of technology, beIN MEDIA GROUP. “With IP-based VoD, streaming applications and 4K, we offer an added-value proposition for our sports entertainment fans to stay tuned for all the events they want to watch.”
“TV has been forever changed by 4K,” said Bartek Gudowski, chief technology officer, MTG Broadcasting. “Broadcasting Olympics coverage in 4K was a monumental event that changed how our viewers connect with sports. Working closely with Cisco to develop the middleware for our UHD STB, we value their expertise and look forward to featuring more live sports events and other sought after programming on the Viasat Ultra HD channel to our dedicated audience in Nordics.”