Czech, Slovak PSBs test Ultra HD test broadcasts on ASTRA 3B

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Czech, Slovak PSBs test Ultra HD test broadcasts on ASTRA 3B

DetailsEditor | 15 December 2014




Aiming to accelerate its development of 4KTV services, SES has revealed that Czech Republic and Slovakia public broadcasters are testing test broadcasts of Ultra HD content via its ASTRA 3B satellite.


SES-10 satellite HPart of the Ultra HDTV Forum, Czech public TV provider CT and Slovakian public broadcaster RTVS, in cooperation with Czech provider of digital infrastructure Ceske Radiokomunikace, are spearheading the trial from the orbital slot of 23.5 degrees East. The Forum's primary task is to look at the production and distribution of Ultra HD content in Czech Republic and Slovakia. SES has recently become a member of the Ultra HDTV Forum.

"Ceska Televize believes that the adoption of Ultra HD will be much faster than HD and is eager to make sure it arrives soon in the Czech Republic," commented Ivo Ferkl, chief technical officer at Česká televize. "We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with SES to conduct these Ultra HD test broadcasts and to work closely with SES following their new member status in the Ultra HD TV Forum."

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The Czech public broadcaster Ceske Televize (CT), along with its Slovak counterpart RTVS and the Czech national transmission company CRa, are to begin test broadcasts of Ultra HD content via Astra 3B at 23.5 degrees East.

All three, along with other leading companies from the broadcast industry in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, are part of the Ultra HDTV forum, which SES also recently joined.

Commenting on the upcoming broadcasts, Norbert Hölzle, senior VP of Europe, commercial at SES, said: “SES has been at the forefront of new broadcasting technologies since the arrival of digital DTH in Europe in 1996 and HDTV in 2005. We are committed to working with industry partners in developing the Ultra HD ecosystem and are delighted that the public broadcasters of Slovakia and the Czech Republic are keen to deliver an incredible and immersive viewing experience via satellite.”

Ivo Ferkl, CTO at CT, added: “Ceska Televize believes that the adoption of Ultra HD will be much faster than HD and is eager to make sure it arrives soon in the Czech Republic. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with SES to conduct these Ultra HD test broadcasts and to work closely with SES following their new member status in the Ultra HD TV Forum.”

Václav Mika, DG at RTVS, said: “Having produced and broadcast all our shows in HD, RTVS is keen to remain the trendsetter in Ultra HD broadcasting and to position ourselves as a leader in technical innovation. As a first step, we will be offering our Ultra HD content on the Astra satellite, together with our partners.”

Martin Gebauer, CEO, at Ceske Radiokomunikace, added: “Ceske Radiokomunikace is pleased to be working with strategic industry partners – Czech and Slovakian public broadcasters and SES – to develop the Ultra HD ecosystem and to play a role in defining the TV landscape of the future.”