New NSR Report Forecasts 820 Ultra-HD Channels by 2025

A Panasonic 4KTV. Photo: Panasonic

[Via Satellite 08-20-2014] NSR analysts predict satellites will distribute 820 Ultra-HD channels through Direct to Home (DTH), IPTV and satellite-to-cable headends in their newest report “Ultra-HD via Satellite, 2nd Edition.” DTH broadcasts comprise the majority of channels with an estimated 560 in 4K and 8K broadcast in this manner 11 years from now.

NSR predicts $370 million in revenue from Ultra-HD broadcasts, which are now expected in all regions of the world. In both developed and developing regions, 4K is expected to gain traction not only as the next step up in audio-visual content, but also as a differentiator, leading to higher subscriber numbers. Developing regions will have lower Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), according to NSR, but are still seeing heightening competition for Ultra-HD.

“In years past, and with previous technological advancements relating to TV content, we have seen a number of hurdles, not least of which has been the prohibitively high cost for end-users to attain TVs suitable for new content. With HD about 15 years ago, this was a major sticking point,” said Alan Crisp, NSR analyst and report author. “Conversely, with Ultra-HD, this hurdle is eroding quickly, with Ultra-HD compatible TV sets reducing in price to as low as $1,000 today.”