Just as all the other HD TV levels were tested before they became a real part of our lives, so it is with the latest UltraHD 4K TV transmission. Where is it being tested and who is delivering it?
Ultra HD Gains Momentum in the US with 30 Pay TV Providers Testing 4K Delivery on SES's Platform (Photo: Business Wire)
SES’s Ultra HD trials have now been added to an additional nine TV operators who are now testing SES’s 4K content delivery platform across their distribution networks bringing it to a total of 30 U.S. Pay TV providers, a combined audience of more than 10 million subscribers. SES’s all-in-one Ultra HD platform combines satellite distribution services, reception gear, and the world’s largest 4K Ultra HD channel line-up, featuring:
- Fashion One 4K
- Travelxp 4K
- 4KUNIVERSE
- NASA TV UHD
- INSIGHT TV
- UHD1
- C4K360
- Funbox UHD
- Nature Relaxation 4K
- SES’s UHD demonstration channel
The latest Pay TV system operators to join Ultra HD trial agreements with SES includes:
- Alliance Communications—an Internet, phone and cable TV operator serving subscribers in South Dakota and Minnesota
- Cincinnati Bell—a leading telco in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky
- Douglas County Community Network—an ultra-high-speed broadband and IPTV provider in Washington state
- Hotwire—a national telecom provider
- Midco—a regional provider of triple play services in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Kansas
- Midwest Video Solutions (MVS)—a multi-service provider in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois
- Oneida Telephone Exchange—a triple-play service provider operating in Oneida, Illinois and Rio, Illinois
- Skitter TV—a national IPTV systems innovator
- South Dakota Networks (SDN)—an enabler of IPTV for 19 telcos in South Dakota
Among the 30 operators on SES’s 4K platform, three have already initiated commercial linear Ultra HD services in subscriber homes via SES’s end-to-end solution: Marquette-Adams Communications in Wisconsin, Highlands Cable Group in North Carolina, and, most recently, EPB Fiber Optics in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Steve Corda, Vice President of Business Development at SES Video, SES’s global media business unit said that the turnkey SES Ultra HD platform is home to some of the largest and smallest cable and IPTV providers in the region, who are leveraging the scalability and reliability of satellite to differentiate themselves in a competitive market with the ultimate television experience. Momentum continues to build as SES accelerates the delivery and commercial availability of Ultra HD services throughout North America, and they expect more cable and IPTV providers to join the trio of operators who have already launched their commercial Ultra HD services using their platform.
Jonathan Bullock, Vice President of Corporate Development and Government at Hotwire Communications added that Hotwire is well positioned to be the first to market with exciting new Ultra HD services later this year, as a result of their Ultra HD trials with SES. The SES Ultra HD platform is easy and fast to deploy on their all-fiber network, allowing them to provide the best 4K channel line-up virtually overnight.
Michael Agostinelli, CEO at Skitter summed it up with his comment that SES’s Ultra HD solution is tailor-made to meet their subscribers’ demand for the best television experience available and their strong desire to be among the first to market with the world’s leading 4K offering. Skitter now has a clear competitive advantage as they make an exciting leap toward a commercial launch of Ultra HD services in their customers’ homes.