First 4K Ultra High Definition Transmission via ASTRA 3B

LUXEMBOURG — IBC 2012 — SES S.A. (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) is collaborating with Sony Corporation (Tokyo:6758; NYSE:SNE) to show IBC visitors a live satellite transmission of 4K UHDTV content. The protected video content is played out in Quad Full HD format encoded in the H.264 standard at a data rate of 50 Mbit/s and is uplinked from SES in Betzdorf/Luxembourg via Transponder 3.236 on ASTRA 3B at 23.5° East.

The stunning picture quality of 4K satellite TV is demonstrated at the IBC stands of both SES and Sony using the latest SONY Bravia 84″ 4K display at a pixel resolution of 3840 x 2160. This live demonstration shows that a 4K resolution significantly enhances the picture quality on large consumer displays and is already today a viable and affordable technology.

“4K or Quad Full HDTV is the de-facto next standard beyond HDTV and will deliver a stunning picture quality on modern, large flat-screen displays,” said Thomas Wrede, SES Vice President of Reception Systems. “With the live demo via ASTRA-3B and using equipment from Sony we demonstrate that the eco-system for 4K UHDTV satellite transmission is available today. With the arrival of the new video encoding standard HEVC in 2013 together with a plethora of 4K compatible flat-screen displays satellite television ‘Beyond HDTV’ can start.”