Aiming to Become Immersive Media Platform Operator
Platform operators based on telecommunication infrastructure are expected to play a bigger role in the media market as immersive media (VR and AR) emerges as next-generation media. KT Corp. is aiming to become a leading VR and AR platform company in Korea in line with the evolution of the video media market.
KT announced on July 1 that it has launched the 4K super-high-definition personal media service “Super VR.” KT laid out its immersive media business strategy at a news conference held at the KT Square building in Gwanghwamun, Seoul.
"The global immersive media market is expected to grow 12-fold from 9.5 trillion won in 2018 to 117.2 trillion won in 2022. However, the immersive media market in Korea stood at 570 billion won in 2018 and is expected to hit 5 trillion won in 2022," said Kim Hun-bae, a managing director of the New Media Business Group at KT. “The global immersive media market will continue to grow rapidly, but not the Korean immersive media market. KT intends to create an immersive media ecosystem in Korea."
Super VR is a service provided through a terminal with upgraded specifications for Giga Live TV and a better content lineup. Super VR works with Pico's G2 terminal. The high-performance 4K all-in-one terminal provides more immersive VR content experiences to customers compared to current Giga Live TV.
The current 3K terminal has 616 pixels per inch whereas the 4K terminal enhances vividness by increasing the number of pixels to 818. In addition, KT said that it reduces a glare phenomenon by improving its lens and has a glass supporter for those who wear glasses.
Super VR provides more than 10,000 immersive videos and features over 450 4K high-definition videos and 15 games in various genres such as sports, shooting, horror, and rhythm action. In addition, KT plans to add two new Super VR games each month. Wide Max Movie Theater which can make people feel immersive like IMAX movie theaters, updates 10 new movies every month in addition to current 245 films. By using Olleh TV mobile application for the Super VR Service, people can enjoy about 100 live channels and about 180,000 videos on demand.
In addition, KT aims to create and expand an open immersive media ecosystem for the purpose of discovering and distributing contents that Korean consumers need. To this end, the telecom company will build its own VR platform, open a VR platform for offline and online operators, secure VR contents specialized in Korea based on strategic alliance, and promote the domestic distribution of new VR terminals from Korean and foreign companies.