DirecTV-15, the pay-TV broadcaster’s latest satellite, has been placed into position atop the giant Ariane-5 launch rocket in Kourou, French Guiana. It is currently scheduled to launch on May 27th. DirecTV-15 is the main passenger on the rocket. But just below it sits a smaller satellite, Sky Mexico-1, which will serve Mexico and is part-owned […]
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has completed its specification for its Ultra-HD devices. Consumers should be able to buy UHD discs and players during Q4 this year. “For years, Blu-ray Disc has set the standard for high definition picture and audio quality in the home. Ultra-HD Blu-ray will do the same for UHD home entertainment,” […]
Steve Unger, CTO at UK comms regulator Ofcom, has admitted that the watchdog may need to act to avoid the risk of consumers being misled by TV sets being labelled as ‘4K Ready’, with standards still to be established and there being a risk of such sets being rendered obsolete by subsequent developments. His preference, […]
Japanese high-end TV and video camera specialists says there is a growing interest in 4K and even 8K camera solutions. “Increasing affordability of 4K UHD consumer television displays is encouraging broadcasters in practically every country to adopt this resolution for new high-budget studio productions,” comments Mark Capstick, General Manager of Ikegami Electronics UK. “This helps […]
EchoStar’s CEO Michael Dugan says that the company is in the “tail-end” of the product development cycles of its latest set-top box, and it will start shipping to its main customer Dish Network later this year. “One of the products and which we are most excited is the already announced 4K Joey, the first 4K […]
A report from tech research company Technavio draws attention towards the increasing popularity of 4K TVs, which is presenting growth opportunities for broadcast and media organisations worldwide. Technavio expects the global ultra HD TV market to grow at a CAGR of 45 per cent from 2015-2019 “Netflix offers 4K ultra-HD
US cable giant Comcast says it will launch “unlimited virtual 4K linear channels” with streaming services later this year. Comcast already has a limited Ultra-HD offering via suitable 4K Samsung displays. Comcast says it will debut a new 4K set-top box, its Xi4 unit, later this year and further update the box (Xi5) in 2016 […]
SES and Samsung Electronics are demonstrating the first DVB transmission of High Dynamic Range UHD TV at the annual SES Industry Days in Luxembourg. The content will be transmitted via an SES satellite directly to a Samsung SUHDTV using the Hybrid Gamma (HDR) technology. The demonstration is claimed as a “major milestone for the Ultra HD […]
The National Geographic Channel (NGC) in Japan has produced its first 4K documentary, The Light: Illuminated by Shuji Nakamura in collaboration with NTT Plala and I-Cast running service Hikari-TV. The 4K version of the documentary is exclusively available on Hikari-TV’s VoD service free-of-charge. The HD version of the programme will air on NGC in Japan […]
Amazon Prime customers in Germany can now download movies and TV series in Ultra-HD. Amazon has struck a deal with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for a slew of Sony releases. An annual fee of €49 is charged for access, or individual titles can be paid for via Amazon’s Instant Video Store. Titles on offer include […]