Advanced Television

UHD

4K forecasts ‘too optimistic’

Bright forecasts for consumer use of 4K or Ultra-HD video are overly optimistic, according to a report from TDG. While 4K will ultimately reach the mainstream, it will be a niche market for at least another five years, with widespread viewing of 4K content arriving in 2019 and growing quickly beyond. Joel Espelien, author of […]

August 14, 2014

OTT services see 4K differentiation opportunities

4K or Ultra-HD is the future, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint to higher resolutions. And while 1080p TV screens are the norm and mobile screen resolutions continue to climb, plenty of streamed HD content is still distributed in 720p or lower, say executives at ABI Research. OTT services such as Netflix, VUDU, and […]

August 8, 2014

NanoTech large-format films for UltraFlix 4K network

NanoTech Entertainment, a pioneer in bringing the 4K Ultra-HD experience to consumers, has entered into an agreement securing the rights to Giant Screen features.  With the agreement, NanoTech’s UltraFlix 4K Ultra HD network will offer 15 films originally produced for IMAX and other Giant Screen theatres. 4K Studios, a NanoTech subsidiary, will use its film […]

August 8, 2014

Surprise bounce for LCD TV market

Liquid-crystal-display television (LCD TV) panels enjoyed unexpected growth in the first half of this year, tied to enthusiastic TV viewing because of the World Cup and other factors that benefited the market, according to a report from IHS. Global LCD TV panel shipments during the first six months of 2014 rose 3 per cent from […]

August 7, 2014

DirecTV commits to 4K

DirecTV‘s CEO Mike White says the broadcaster will be able to supply 4K/Ultra-HD content later this year as ‘on demand’ offerings, and says full 4K transmissions are on track for 2015 or 2016. “I’m certainly excited about [4K]. We expect to be able to do 4K VoD before the end of the year. We’re working […]

August 4, 2014By Chris Forrester

Telefónica Vivo, Ericsson bring next-gen TV to Brazil

Brazil’s largest communications service provider Telefónica Vivo has chosen Ericsson’s AVP 4000 Encoder Family to boost its TV viewing experience for consumers in Brazil. Furthermore, Telefónica Vivo has begun trials to demonstrate the ability to provide a 4K experience in Brazil. With more content available for more video-enabled devices than ever before, maximising video delivery […]

August 1, 2014

UltraFlix adds 4K concerts, sports videos

NanoTech Entertainment has entered into a distribution agreement to add 45 concerts, music and sports videos as well as horror films to NanoTech’s UltraFlix all Ultra-HD OTT network. 4K Studios, a NanoTech subsidiary, will be creating 4K digital masters from the films. With the addition of a total of 11 concerts, 13 music & performing […]

July 28, 2014

LG Q2 up 165%

LG Electronics has revealed a 165 per cent increase in Q2 net profit compared with the same period last year, reflecting strong earnings from both the TV and mobile operations. LG reported Q2 2014 net profit of KRW 412 billion ($399.8 million) and operating profit of KRW 606 billion, an increase of 26.5 per cent […]

July 24, 2014

UHD TVs lack market penetration

Ultra-HD TVs continued to make slow and steady inroads throughout the world, but their share of the overall flat-panel TV market remained minimal by the end of May, suggesting that Ultra-HD TV pricing in the market remains too high to gain meaningful share, according to a report from IHS Technology. Among the top 13 brands […]

July 23, 2014

Broadcasting Unions unite against TV spectrum release

The World Broadcasting Unions (WBU) – the coordinating body for broadcasting unions who represent broadcaster networks across the globe – has released an official joint position on radio spectrum allocation, stating their support to maintain the allocation of UHF frequencies (470 to 694 MHz) currently used for terrestrial TV broadcasting. The WBU says that broadcasters […]

July 23, 2014By Colin Mann