Orange launching UHD service, Canal+ pledges support

Stéphane Richard

Orange has unveiled a new UHD-capable version of its Livebox platform with a promise to invest in UHD content and a commitment from Canal+ to support the launch.

Orange says that it will have a catalogue of 300 UHD titles available when the box launches commercially, including dozens of movies on Orange VoD, exclusive releases available 10 months after their theatrical release with mobile TV service OCS Go, the family showcase channel OCS Max and a new live linear channel, AB Ultra Nature.

Orange will also offer UHD titles from Netflix through its partnership with the streaming VoD provider, including Breaking Bad, Da Vinci Code, Daredevil, Bloodline, Chef’s Table, Narcos, and the new French series Marseille.

Canal+ said it would offer live UHD coverage of football and rugby as well as original films, series and documentaries in UHD. The pay TV operator’s content will be available via its linear channel Canal+ and via the Canal+ à la Demande VoD service. Canal+’s UHD offering on Orange will kick off with the final of the Top 14 rugby competition live from Barcelona on June 24.

Orange chairman and CEO Stéphane Richard unveiled the box at Orange’s latest ‘Show Hello’ event at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. Richard said that eight matches from the Euro 2016 football tournament would be made exclusively available in UHD to Orange TV customers.

Orange customers will also be able to download over 200 UHD games. Richard said that Orange also planned to launch a dedicated virtual reality platform soon.

Richard made it clear that the new Livebox is designed primarily for fibre customers and the launch is intended to attract new subscribers to the operator’s fibre offering.

The device is however enabled for both fibre and ADSL networks and also provides access to data via Orange’s mobile network.  It comes with a 1TB hard disk and a new Livebox Storage service enables remote access to any file saved in a shared or individual secure space.