Claro Chile to demonstrate Ultra HD with Harmonic

Thursday, May 12th, 2016
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Latin American Ultra HD Market Heats Up With End-to-End Video Delivery Demonstration From Harmonic and Claro Chile

  • Utilizing the Electra™ X3 Advanced Media Processor From Harmonic, Claro Chile Will Deliver 2160p60 Video to Sony UHD TV Sets

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Claro Chile, a subsidiary of America Movil, the third largest telecommunications operator in the world and the largest in Latin America, and Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure, today announced that they will demonstrate end-to-end Ultra HD (UHD) delivery via Claro Chile’s distribution network. Over the next few months, Claro Chile will showcase breathtaking UHD images produced and delivered by Harmonic on Sony® UHD TV sets. The UHD demo channel will be the first of its kind shown in the country, highlighting the growing momentum for UHD content.

“The global Ultra HD TV market is projected to reach 102.8 million units by 2020, according to the latest market research from Global Industry Analysts. Partnering together on this demo, Claro Chile and Harmonic will demonstrate that the Latin American market is ready for the remarkable viewing experience that can be achieved with Ultra HD,” said Alvaro Martin, vice president of sales for Latin America at Harmonic. “The demo will include footage from NASA TV UHD, the first consumer UHD channel in North America, and we are confident that it’s the most amazing video quality anyone has ever seen.”

At the heart of this demo is Harmonic’s Electra™ X3 advanced media processor, the industry’s first converged media processor for UHD content with live, full-frame, full-GOP UHD encoding. Powered by the Harmonic PURE Compression Engine™, an advanced encoding technology that supports resolutions up to 2160p60 (HEVC Main 10) for broadcast and OTT multiscreen delivery, the Electra X3 enables superior video quality at minimum bandwidth.

Demo content will be sourced from NASA TV UHD, an ambient video channel that was recently launched by Harmonic and NASA, showing consumers the beauty of space and the various facets of NASA’s space program in stunning UHD.

“By partnering with Harmonic, we have joined forces with a company that sets the standard for innovation in Ultra HD production and delivery,” said Mariano Orihuela, director of residential markets at Claro Chile. “We look forward to bringing the very best in Ultra HD to our subscribers, elevating their entertainment experience to an entirely new level.”