Samsung’s UHD Ambitions
Samsung Electronics, which has the ambition to become the top-ranked UHD TV maker this year, is expanding 4K content partnerships with cable companies at home and abroad, Internet Protocol television (IPTV) providers, online streaming service providers, and filmmakers.
According to industry sources on Feb. 11, the Korean tech giant is forging partnerships with cable companies and IPTV providers in the nation after a series of deals with overseas companies such as Comcast, Amazon, DirecTV, Netflix, and M-GO.
Samsung is going to offer 4K video streaming on its Ultra HD TVs in partnership with M-GO, a joint venture between DreamWorks and Technicolor. The tech company is expected to launch the service in as early as March. M-GO is planning to deliver one hundred 4K movies and TV shows, which will be available at Internet speeds of up to 3Mbps for upscale content and 15Mbps for 4K content.
The firm is working with Amazon, Comcast (the largest cable company in the US), and DirecTV (a US direct broadcast satellite service provider) to stream the higher-resolution video format through their native Smart Hub apps. The streaming service is scheduled to be launched in the second half of this year.
Locally, it is expanding its content-related cooperation through partnerships aimed at developing UHD set-top boxes. U-MAX, Korea’s UHD channel due to open in May, is going to provide services via Samsung’s UHD TVs. In April, Samsung is planning to release its UHD TV with a built-in digital cable set-top box.
The tech company is also working with SK Broadband for the IPTV business. SK Broadband is going to provide a video on demand service called UHD Screen on a trial basis at the first half of this year, and the service will be available on Samsung’s UHD TV.