U
UK consumers switching on
to UHD TV
K consumers are increasingly
switching on to the benefits of UHD,
according to the results of a new
survey conducted by Atomik for the DTG,
the UK collaboration centre for innovation in
digital media technology.
The DTG polled over 1,000 people who
purchased a TV in the last three years and
found that younger viewers were most keen
to embrace the possibilities of Ultra High
Definition viewing – with the majority (84%)
of 25-34 year-olds finding the experience even
better than they’d expected.
The survey found that more than 1 in 5
(22%) of UK consumers purchased a UHD-
ready TV in the past three years. Whilst
younger viewers were most likely to opt for a
UHD television because they wanted a better
viewing experience – 64% of 25-34 year-olds
made this claim – the highest percentage of
UHD TVs are actually being purchased by over
55s (22.78%).
Despite the increase in UHD content
available from broadcasters including BT,
Sky, Netflix and Amazon, the over 55s age
group was also the least likely to view a film,
programme or event in UHD when offered
(71.19% versus 95.65% of 35-44-year-olds). In
fact, nearly 1 in 3 (30.51%) of this age group
admitted to only ‘sporadically’ making use of
the UHD capabilities of their television sets.
Of those buying a TV with UHD capabilities,
most did so in order to get the best possible
viewing experience (53.04%). Whilst the
vast majority of respondents pointed to an
improved viewing quality compared with
their old TV (86.09%), more than two thirds
(67.39%) claimed that the UHD experience has
actually surpassed their expectations. As the
volume of UHD content that’s readily available
begins to gather pace, the most popular
platforms among those who watch UHD
content in the UK are Sky (32.17%), followed
by Netflix (17.39%) and Amazon (13.48%).
Peter Sellar, associate director of the DTG,
said: “While availability of UHD is in its early
stages and HDR content is still some way off,
we’re seeing with Amazon’s Man in The High
Castle and Netflix’s forthcoming Iron Fist, that
there is some outstanding UHD programming
that’s already accessible. Any UK consumers
who opt to purchase a UHD TV but don’t then
take advantage of its capabilities are truly
doing themselves an injustice. It’s like buying
a Ferrari and only ever driving it slowly to the
corner shop.”
Whilst UHD is proving popular with TV
buyers, there’s still a strong appetite for
HDTVs. When it comes to buying HDTVs
more people from the North East (78.18%)
than London (53.76%) have purchased a high
definition television in the last three years.
Sellar continued, “With the majority
(55.31%) of those surveyed possessing a clear
understanding of the difference between HD
and UHD, it’s encouraging to see informed and
savvy consumers who know what they want.
If the UK is to join Japan and South Korea at
the forefront of mainstream UHD delivery it’s
essential that content creators, broadcasters,
manufacturers and retailers work in
collaboration to satisfy the growing demand
and continue to exceed expectations.”
Verizon, SES tri al Ultra HD delivery
S
atellite operator SES is stepping up the
number of its North American Ultra HD
delivery service provider trials with the
announcement of a collaborative agreement
with telco Verizon aimed at driving the overall
development of Ultra HD delivery solutions for
Verizon Fios subscribers
throughout the US.
Verizon is among
a recent wave of
multichannel video
programming
distributors (MVPDs)
evaluating the SES
satellite-based Ultra
HD solution during
milestone trials aimed
at accelerating Ultra HD
home delivery.
As part of the
collaboration, Verizon
will receive and test
content from SES’s
pre-packaged Ultra
HD platform, which
combines a growing lineup of Ultra HD
channels and reception equipment in a
cost-effective service delivered over scalable
satellite capacity.
SES’s managed Ultra HD platform is
delivered over dedicated satellite bandwidth,
which provides a much higher quality
viewer experience compared to current
Internet-delivered 4K offerings, which can
be susceptible to bottlenecks, buffering and
network congestion. Home to nine linear Ultra
HD channels, the platform provides the largest
bouquet of Ultra HD programming available in
North America.
“Verizon’s network is uniquely positioned
to bring its customers the most innovative
content solutions, including 4K/UHD,” said
Erin McPherson, VP of programming and
content strategy. “We look forward to driving
the technology and delivering premier video
experiences through our collaboration with
SES.”
“This collaborative agreement
between SES and Verizon marks
an important milestone in the
development of our Ultra HD
solution. Leading television services
providers, such as Verizon, are
evaluating our platform as a way
to integrate scalable and dedicated
satellite bandwidth into their Ultra
HD launch plans,” explained Steve
Corda, vice president of business
Development for SES in North
America. “With more than 4.5
million video subscribers, Verizon
Fios represents an exciting addition
to our overall effort aimed at
making Ultra HD more affordable
and faster to market for TV services
providers across the region.”
SES is already carrying a portfolio of Ultra
HD channels, mostly from Vivicast including
Travel XP, Clubbing/c4k360, Fashion News
Lifestyle Network, Nature Relaxation 4K, 4K
Universe and Insight TV
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