DirecTV's Goswitz: Satellite operator to have 50-70 4K channels by 2020

DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) stands firmly behind the deployment of 4K/UltraHD services and plans to have 50-70 4K channels available to subscribers by 2020.

That was the message delivered Wednesday by Philip Goswitz, senior VP, video, space and communications for DirecTV, speaking at the Satellite 2015 conference in Washington, D.C., an event covered by Advanced Television.

UltraHD "is the killer app for satellite, and it should be the killer app for this whole conference," Goswitz said. "There's a huge demand from consumers once they have seen [the technology]. This is the next thing and people want it. They are buying 'smart' phones every year, and tablets every year, and we have a conviction, a passion, to deliver this wonderful experience to the new screens they are buying now."

DirecTV launched a limited 4K service last year, making a handful of Paramount archival movie titles available for download in the format on Genie DVRs. The satellite company has expressed plans to expand that service in 2015.

A recent survey conducted by Leichtman Research found that awareness of 4K has reached 41 percent among U.S. consumers, up from 30 percent a year ago.

For more:
- read this Advanced Television story
- read this TV Predictions story

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