UHD shopping channel Pearl.tv to launch via SES

Shopping channel Pearl.tv will start broadcasting in Ultra High Definition (UHD) via satellite and the web this September, in what it claims will be a first for a European free-to-air channel.

The launch will coincide with the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin, which runs from September 4-9, with SES Platform Services to provide HEVC encoding of the UHD live signal, uplink to the Astra satellites at the orbital position 19.2 degrees East, and internet streaming.

“With the launch of Pearl.tv UHD, we’re seeking to raise the quality of our product worlds to a whole new level. SES Platform Services is the ideal partner for the preparation and playout of our TV signal, as it provides us with top-quality UHD services and maximum transmission security,” said Michael Sichler, managing director of Pearl.tv parent firm Enstyle.

SES Platform Services’ chief product officer, Sophie Lersch, added: “We’re delighted to be launching Europe’s first free-to-air UHD channel both via satellite and the internet. UHD places specific demands on workflows in the content management, playout and encoding sectors, an area in which we’ve gained a lot of know-how over the past few years. As a result, we can now offer all services that broadcasters and content providers need in order to market and distribute their content in UHD – linear or on-demand, and via satellite or the internet.”