LAS VEGAS--A group of top programming conglomerates, pay-TV companies, consumer electronics brands and streaming media operators have formed an alliance to further the development of the 4K/Ultra HD market.
Announced at the CES International trade show in Las Vegas Monday, the Ultra HD Alliance includes DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV), LG Electronics, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony Visual Products, Disney, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros. Technology company Dolby is also a founding member, as is media services provider Technicolor.
(A curious omission is Deluxe, which provides the technological backbone to 4K services recently launched by DirecTV and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA).)
The directive of the alliance is to further the collaboration of the producers, technology vendors and distributors to ensure that content and devices meet certain standards.
The founders say they'll conduct their first meeting "in the coming months."
"As the UHD ecosystem continues to evolve, we are strengthening our commitment to high-quality UHD content and devices," said Hyunsuk Kim, president, visual display business at Samsung Electronics, in a statement. "The Alliance will encourage the development of high-quality UHD content while distinguishing TVs that provide the most premium UHD viewing experience."
"The innovative advancements and quality improvements with TVs are evolving rapidly, as seen throughout CES," added Mike Dunn, president, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "The UHD Alliance will benefit consumers by identifying products and content that will give the true UHD experience."
"These technologies allow us to utilize a much broader palette to tell our stories while providing viewers with true-to-life colors, superior contrast and premium picture quality," said Ron Sanders, president, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. "Working with a wide industry consortium is the best way to deliver these experiences within premium entertainment."
For more:
- read this Ultra HD Alliance press release
- read this Technicolor blog post
- read this story from The Verge
Related links:
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