SES Launches Ultra HD Demo Channel in North America
SES S.A. has launched its first Ultra HD (UHD)
demonstration channel serving the North American television
market
The demonstration channel, broadcast via SES-3 at 103 degrees
West, will enable cable operators to prepare and test their networks
for Ultra HD trials. The SES-3 satellite provides broad coverage
over the North America market, ideally positioned to deliver live
and linear Ultra HD to cable networks. With three UHD demo channels
already available across Europe - broadcast from 19.2 degrees East,
28.2 East and 5 degrees East -, SES extends its global leadership in
HD and UHD delivery with this new channel in North America.
SES initiated the new UHD demo channel in response to strong
cable operator demand following its highly successful demonstration
of the first-ever live and linear Ultra HD broadcasts to cable
systems at the NAB and INTX conferences earlier this spring. The
milestone Ultra HD broadcasts were enabled by SES’s Ultra-HD-ready
linear content delivery network, which is used to transmit the UHD
demo channel. The camera-to-screen ecosystem is built on satellite’s
inherent broadcast advantages coupled with the multicasting
capability of DOCSIS 3.0, the most advanced transmission standard
that is used by most cable systems today.
“This new SES Ultra HD demo channel is playing an important role
in accelerating the successful delivery of Ultra HD to cable homes
across North America,” explained Steve Corda, Vice President of
Business Development for SES in North America. “Cable operators and
content distributors can now begin to prepare their systems and test
their networks for Ultra HD delivery, leading into major trials this
summer,” Corda said, noting the Ultra HD demo channel is expected to
reach cable subscribers’ homes later this year.
