“Ultra HD is not going the way of 3D, it is here to stay,” said Ferdinanc Kayser, CCO of SES during the company’s yearly update during IBC.
The satellite operator believes 4K is now in the technical set-up phase. During IBC SES is now demonstrating the first live end-to-end encrypted Ultra HD content to a Samsung flat screen using SmarDTV CI plus CAMs for content protection.
“We are working with a cross-section of industry stakeholders to facilitate the technical innovation required for Ultra HD to be a consumer product in 2016.”
With two major sports events taking place in 2016, UEFA Euro and the Olympic Games in Rio, pay TV operators will most likely be the drivers of Ultra HD.
Meanwhile, 28% of all channels carried by SES satellites is now in HD with 494 channels added since 2012. North America is leading in HD, with Europe in second position. There are now 512 HD channels on SES satellites, out of o total of 2,453, in Europe.
After analogue switch-off, the end of SD broadcasts will now be n the agenda. “Canal+ in France is the first in Europe to lead this development, switching off all MPEG2 in favour of MPEG4.” The move means that the pay TV operator will have to replace its entire STB population.
Germany will probably be one of the last countries to switch off SD, “becasue about half of all households are dependent on the reception of ]free TV.”
