UHD and HDR: Making TV "New and Improved"

Analysts are predicting sales of upwards of 50 million Ultra HD (UHD) televisions over the next five years, and Alticast US President and CTO John Carlucci says it’s easy to see why.

In this video Carlucci talks about how UHD allows the artist’s vision of content to be delivered completely to the subscriber in an uncompromised fashion, and how High Dynamic Range “is a bit like your laundry detergent: It makes your whites whiter, your blacks blacker, it makes all

the colors of the rainbow better.”

ALTIVIEW 3, ANDROID, ATSC TOP ALTICAST EXHIBITS AT NAB 2016

Broomfield, CO – April 13, 2016 – Alticast will highlight how its AltiView, Android and next-generation products and solutions are revolutionizing customer experiences and creating value for service and content providers at its exhibit at the NAB 2016 show April 18-21 in Las Vegas.

In its booth (South Hall [Upper] - SU11605CM) and in a thought leadership forum, Alticast will discuss how KT Skylife, Videotron’s Illico and other services are leveraging Alticast expertise in middleware, UI enablement and other areas to drive new user experiences that can increase subscriber engagement and value.

At NAB 2016 Alticast will show how:

•  The AltiView 3 user experience builds on the proven market success of the AltiView product family, enabling elegant and sophisticated content discovery and bringing a fresh approach to television engagement;
• Its market leadership in developing Android-based set-top box solutions provides operators with increased functionality and versatility, while building solutions for the transition to all-IP networks; and
• Combined technologies from Alticast, S & T and UniSoft enable broadcasters to deliver ATSC Interactive applications, including a new generation of iTV services and advanced advertising applications.

In addition, John Carlucci, president and CTO of Alticast US, will participate on the “How to Build a Compelling User Interface” panel on Monday, April 18 (11:45 a.m.; CMIIP Pavilion).

Media and industry analysts interested in meeting with Alticast executives at NAB 2016 should contact pspr@att.net to schedule a date and time.

Visit Alticast at NAB 2016

Adding Revenue Through Value-Added Services

In the popularity contest between video services and other subscription services, this Vindicia study leaves no question as to who wears the crown – or where growth potential for our industry lies.  The study talked about how Over-the-Top and Video-on-Demand services are the single most important subscription service to users with multiple online subscriptions, but what is equally intriguing is the vast number of subscription services that offer new opportunities for operators and content providers.

Two key Vindicia findings -- that four in 10 subscribers rank video services highest and that almost 60% of subscribers engage with their favorite service 11 hours a month – speaking to the commanding presence that video has in the market.  At the same time, Vindicia found that an overwhelming majority would be willing to ante up for value-added packages, which could range from simple upgrades from basic to premium services to new opportunities such as digital health or Internet of Things applications.  Three quarters of respondents expressed a willingness to pay an additional $3.99 per month for services that would add value; when the cost was trimmed to an additional $1.99 per month, 84% said they would commit to upgrades.

Here’s how Vindicia’s CEO viewed the results: “First, as long as service providers deliver sustained and obvious value for money, customers will stick around. Second, demand for value-added benefits is so high that service providers can consider it a reliable avenue for significant business expansion. Our survey found that despite the notion that consumers don’t want to add significant financial obligations to their lives, they are very willing to pay for the services they value.”

Our take is that this is exactly the type of data that operators should consider as they explore opportunities in an Internet-of-Things world.  While video will continue to be the primary contributor to operators’ bottom lines, their ability to make their networks the hub of “smart” activity for consumers has the potential to take our industry into the uncharted waters of future growth.

ALTICAST TEAMS WITH VIDEOTRON FOR FIRST CANADIAN LAUNCH OF 4K UHD STB

Alticast today announced that its ongoing innovation partnership with Videotron is helping to achieve a milestone for the Canadian pay-TV industry – the first availability of 4K ultra high definition set-top box on a commercial basis throughout a cable system operator’s entire service footprint.

Videotron’s release of the illico 4K Ultra HD PVR has positioned the Quebec operator as a market leader in driving the key ingredients to ultra high definition success: UHD device penetration, the availability of UHD content with the superior color and consumer awareness of the value of the new technology.

Leveraging Alticast’s expertise in middleware and UI enablement, the illico 4K Ultra HD PVR allows delivery of high-value 4K content, while retaining features that are products of the close working relationship between Videotron and Alticast. These include multi-room PVR capabilities, interactive applications and seamless integration with Videotron’s state of the art back-office systems.

“The ability to combine the richness of 4K content with managed network Quality of Service will be a significant differentiator for pay-TV,” said John Carlucci, president and CTO, Alticast US. “By being the first operator in Canada to bring 4K STBs into subscribers’ homes, Videotron is continuing the leadership that sets it apart from competitors and enhances the value of service bundles.”

“The tremendous promise that 4K UHD holds for our customers can only be realized by true commitment on the part of the entire industry,” said Pierre Roy, Vice-President Engineering, Research and Development. “Alticast and our other technology partners have helped us to create the technical foundation that had already generated market enthusiasm and satisfy customer demand for UHD services.”