Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) Satellie Special Supplement 2015 | Page 3

SATELLITE S 2 P 0 E 1 C 5 I A L Satellite a key delivery platform in Asia-Pacific Satellite remains key content delivery platform in Asia-Pacific With new 4K UHD channels launched over satellite in Japan in March this year, some in the industry believe that satellite will be the leading platform for 4K UHD services to be launched in Asia-Pacific. While the 4K UHD debate rages on, many TV services delivered to one of the biggest and most diverse regions in the world continue to depend on satellite, as Shawn Liew finds out. According to a September 2014 survey by Intelsat, Asia-Pacific is expected to lead in 4K Ultra HD adoption, with satellite the primary platform for its delivery to the home. B y the time you are reading this, 4K Ultra HD (UHD) would have landed firmly on Asian shores, as Japanese direct-to-home (DTH) operator Sky PerfecTV is scheduled to launch two 4K UHD channels on March 1 this year. Sky PerfecTV’s launch followed on the heels of the Next Generation Television and Broadcasting Promotion Forum (NexTV-F), which began 4K UHD broadcasting in Japan via satellite in June last year. Called “Channel 4K”, the service is heralded by the Japanese government. One of the first major events to be broadcast on Chan- nel 4K was last year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where selected matches were broadcast via international feeds from Brazil. Taking into account its cost-effectiveness, and sheer delivery footprint, it is perhaps not surprising that satellite has been touted by many as one of the leading platforms for the delivery of 4K UHD content to the home. What might be surprising to many, is the region where 4K UHD is expected to gain most traction — Asia! An Supplement 1