[ad_1]
SRG is switching to Ultra HD: now tens of thousands of viewers have to buy new devices
Private and SRG television stations are launching the Ultra HD standard. However, not all devices can handle it, and the benefits are controversial.
The television image is sharper and the colors more true, thanks to the new Ultra HD (UHD) standard. Several television stations want to switch to this or next year. Earlier this year, the SRG informed retailers that it would stream its stations via UHD starting next year.
TVs purchased before 2013 come © CH Media Image: shutterstock.com
But: not all televisions and receivers can handle it. An international standard for the new encoding that the SRG wants to use for UHD has been around since 2013. The first UHD-compatible televisions were sold ten years ago. Older models are generally not suitable for UHD.
But even those who bought a new TV in recent years cannot be sure that it can handle UHD. According to the SRG, more than 80 percent of the devices sold today are UHD-compatible, according to surveys conducted by market researcher GfK.
But that also means: tens of thousands of devices have to be adapted. This is possible with so-called ballasts, also called decoders. Initially, households affected by the change will watch satellite TV. According to federal figures, around 300,000 devices use this receiving route.
Corona virus shakes up plans
For a time, the SRG wants to stream its channels in UHD and HD quality at the same time. There is no specific date for the change yet, says spokesman Edi Estermann. The corona virus has turned many things around. Virtually every major event that occurs at UHD has been canceled or postponed, such as the European Football Championship or the Tokyo Olympics. Therefore, the SRG is reviewing its schedule and is a “slight delay”.
It is unclear when SRG channels will also be broadcast on Swisscom, UPC and Co. networks in UHD. However, these should react quickly once the SRG makes the signals available.
They’ve already had their first experiences: The German group RTL has been broadcasting their RTL UHD channel on Sunrise television since February, and the channel was also launched at UPC in March. The Pro7Sat.1 group, in turn, started a trial operation in 2018 and is broadcasting some programs via satellite in UHD quality. There are still no concrete talks with Swiss distributors, a spokeswoman says. One watches “technological developments and partner offerings very carefully.”
3+ and Co. to start UHD in 2021
Planning at CH Media with its television channels such as 3+, TV24 or Tele Züri is well advanced. “We plan to offer our channels in UHD in the future,” says Roger Elsener, head of television for CH Media. The start is scheduled for 2021. The introduction would be staggered according to the station.
Unlike today’s television signal, which is broadcast by most television stations in HD quality, a single UHD image has at least four times as many pixels. The new standard also provides greater color depth. Simply put, this term expresses how many different colors can be displayed. UHD also allows for better contrast and is intended to display television images that are closer to reality.
Netflix already offers UHD quality
With the new standard, the amount of data transmitted also increases. Therefore, it has only been possible since broadband connections have become widespread and the amount of data can be transmitted to viewers. Streaming providers like Netflix and Amazon already offer various UHD-quality content on their platforms.
At least in the SRG, the change is made in an intermediate step: first, you want to offer your channels in Full HD. Today, the SRG is based on the lower resolution of the HD standard, which uses just a little less than half the pixels compared to Full HD. With the move from current resolution to UHD, the SRG is planning at least an eight-fold increase in the number of pixels.
However, whether that will go well with clients is another matter. In a test carried out by Stiftung Warentest, the test subjects recognized the UHD resolution, but above all by the best colors and the best contrast. Test subjects chose the same TV distance for HD and UHD images, an indication that they didn’t notice anything about the higher level of detail due to higher resolution, the foundation concludes.
As you have traveled here, we assume that you like our journalistic offer. As you may know, we recently decided not to introduce a watson login requirement. There will also be no payment barriers with us. We do not want to create any obstacles to accessing Watson because we believe that in a democracy everyone should be able to obtain information easily and at any time. If you still want to support us with a small amount, please do so here.
