Pay-TV operators purchased $15.3 billion worth of set-top boxes (STBs) in 2014, down from $15.9 billion in 2013. This decline represents the first contraction in the market since 2002, according analysis and insight firm IHS. Shipments of pay-TV STBs grew slightly in 2014 to 204.7 million units, an increase of just under 1 per cent […]
Higher Dynamic Range (HDR) is key to fully enjoying Ultra HD transmissions. However, few UHD displays can currently manage to resolve HDR with its better picture quality, richer colours, and significantly improved detail in shadows and black and white contrast ratios. Amazon’s Prime Instant Video service says it will supply HDR-enabled content – initially to […]
Ericsson has signed a multi-year broadcast and media services deal with BT Sport to help launch three new television channels and an interactive red button service in the UK. Ericsson will be responsible for designing, building and running BT Sport Europe, free-to-air service BT Sport Showcase, and BT Sport UHD. BT Sport UHD will be […]
Commercial satellite provider Space Systems/Loral (SSL) has been selected to provide a broadcasting satellite for Japan’s Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT). The satellite will be used for Direct-to-Home (DTH) television service in Japan. “The BSAT-4a satellite represents our fourth satellite contract award for the Japanese market in the last two years,” said John Celli, president […]
Ultra HD 4k is very much the next step for broadcasters and pay-TV providers everywhere. But it is about so much more than just more bits, and it is only the first step on the UHD road. Chris Forrester talked to four UHD insiders from Edgeware, Harmonic, Irdeto, Qarva about current abilities and future developments. […]
Samsung Electronics America has agreed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pearl TV, a partnership of nine leading TV broadcast companies, and Sinclair Broadcast Group with combined reach over 88 million TV households throughout the US. The companies will work collaboratively to support the development and the implementation of the new Advanced Television Systems […]
Satellite operator SES is continuing to set up demonstration 4K/Ultra-HD channels over its key transmission neighbourhoods. The latest offering will appear later this year from SES-3 over North America and provide an easy test for the hundreds of cable systems that use SES-3 for their programming supplies. SES-3 operates at 103 degrees West. “With three […]
Delia Bushell, Managing Director, BT TV and BT Sport, has said the operator’s third year of broadcasting will see BT TV come of age, with additional and exclusive rights to European football matches, the launch of an Ultra HD service and box, as well as a new channel. Speaking at the Future of Broadcasting Conference […]
American space agency NASA is currently making available short ‘taster’ clips in 4K/Ultr- HD on YouTube on scenes shot in and outside of the International Space Station. The footage has been uploaded at 60 frames/second, making the images super smooth. The shots are all the more impressive when one considers the challenges NASA has had […]
According to David Watkins, Strategy Analytics’ Director Connected Home Devices, Sky is set to lose the TV innovation lead to BT for the first time in over 20 years, following the telco’s announcement of a Ultra-HD sports channel launch. “Being first to market with a UHD sports channel