IBC 2012 – AMSTERDAM. The first commercial 4K services could be launched within three years, according to Ferdinand Kayser, SES CCO.
Driving the Ultra HD format will be the usual suspects”, the pay TV broadcasters who also jump started HD development. And we expect Ulta HD to play an important role in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.”
4K and 8K services will help drive demand for bandwidth, as is the expansion of DTH pay TV in emerging markets, where increasing disposable income and digital switch-over will fuel growth. SES expects digital pay TV income in emerging markets to rise to EUR25 million in 2015, an annual growth rate of 13.7%.
Kayser is also bullish about a mature market such as Europe, where according to the latest Satellite Monitor, satellite has now taken the lead over terrestrial and cable with a total of 83.6 million homes, compared with 79.4 million for DTT and 69.25 million for cable. IPT is still a minor player with 15.99 million homes.
“Satellite as a dsitribution medium is more competitive than ever,” added Kayser.
New hyrbid services in cooperation with telcos is also helping satellite, Ä hybrid infrastructure is the perfect combination lveraging ther core strengths of satellite and terrestrial infracture preserves established content distribution models.”
In Gerrmany, the hybrid offer from Deutsche Telekom’s EntertainSat is a good example, but according to Kayser telcos in the CEE region are also very keen to propose such offers.
On the African continent, SES has joined forces with Samsung to bring TV sets with integrated satellite tuners to the market in ordwer to make access easier.
Äfricaás first LED TV with an integfrated FT receiver is now availbale in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast DR Congo and Cameron, “said Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou, SVP Affrica, SES. “The Samsuing LED TV Fee Satellite will promote access to digital TV content and encourage to launch more content.”
During the past five years, satellite penetration in Africa increased by 16%. Multi TV in Ghana, for instanmce, has grown 500% in two years and offers 18 TV channels.
