SES launches Ultra HD demo channel in North America

SES has launched a new Ultra High Definition (UHD) demo channel in North America to allow cable operators and content distributors to prepare their networks for the technology.

The channel is SES’s first UHD demo channel serving this market and joins three UHD demo channels that are already available across Europe.

The new demo channel will be broadcast via SES-3 at 103 degrees West, which offers broad coverage over the North American market.

SES said it launched the new UHD demo channel in response to “strong cable operator demand” after it demoed live and linear Ultra HD broadcasts to cable systems at the NAB and INTX conferences earlier this spring.

“Cable operators and content distributors can now begin to prepare their systems and test their networks for Ultra HD delivery, leading into major trials this summer,” said Steve Corda, vice-president of business development for SES in North America.

The Ultra HD demo channel is expected to reach North American cable subscribers’ homes later this year.