SES Prepares U.S. Cable Operators for UHD Trials

LUXEMBOURG—The demand of 4K/UHD content is reaching a fever pitch, as consumers continue to buy UHDTVs despite minimal content being readily available. However, SES is working with a number of U.S. cable operators to address that in the coming months. The Luxembourg-based company has announced that multiple cable operators are testing UHD content across its UHD platform and will receive HEVC 4K IP set top boxes to prepare for UHD subscriber trials in U.S. households expected to take place later this year.

SES has signed UHD trial agreements with Cable America in Missouri, Golden West Telecommunications in South Dakota, MTC Cable in New York, Sjoberg’s Cable TV in Minnesota, and ATMC in North Carolina. All will receive the 4K/HEVC set top boxes from SES to give to their subscribers.

Using the DOCSIS 3.0 transmission standard and traditional digital TV, SES will be able to deliver its stock of four UHD channels to subscribers. The channels include Fashion One 4K, NASA TV UHD, High 4K TV, and SES’s own UHD1 channel. SES’ will deliver its 4K offerings over dedicated bandwidth, as opposed to internet-delivered 4K, which Comcast began doing in 2014.