Leading satellite operator SES and New York-based Fashion One Television, a leading fashion, entertainment and lifestyle television network, have launched the world’s first global Ultra HD (UHD) channel, Fashion One 4K.

SES is delivering the free-to-air channel across North America, South America and Europe via its satellites, said a statement from the company.

Launched on September 1, Fashion One 4K has a technical reach of 100 million households across North America via SES’s Ultra HD platform on the SES-3 satellite at 103 degrees West and 23 million households across South America on the NSS-806 satellite at 47.5 degrees West, it said.

In Europe, the channel, broadcast under the brand Fashion 4K, reaches over 116 million households via SES’s prime orbital position at19.2 degrees East. SES Platform Services, an SES subsidiary, is providing a fully-managed 4k playout along with ground segment and distribution services for the Ultra HD channel. The channel launches worldwide as Fashion One 4K, and in Europe as Fashion 4K, it added.

Fashion One has been upgrading its production format from HD to Ultra HD since 2014 and now owns an extensive library of Ultra HD content with 100 per cent content rights. Fashion One 4K currently carries the latest fashion and entertainment content, such as new seasons of the active lifestyle series Model Yoga, the global culinary adventures of Fashion On A Plate, and the sustainable fashion docu-series Eco Fashion. Other programming includes specials like The Ultimate Style Guide and Fashion Around the Globe, leaving something for everyone.

With four times the clarity of HD broadcasting viewers will experience the sharpest details, the smoothest lines and the richest colour palette ever to be broadcast on television, said the statement

Gleb Livshits, chief operations officer, Fashion One Television, said: “We are excited to launch Fashion One 4K, the world’s first global Ultra HD channel dedicated to fashion and entertainment.

“We have invested heavily in producing Ultra HD content over the last two years, and I’m delighted that we are finally able to share the channel with our viewers,” he said.

“Together with SES, our long-time partner, we are committed to leading the industry and providing our audiences with the highest quality content,” he added.

Ferdinand Kayser, chief commercial officer at SES, said: “Since 2013, SES has been at the forefront of developing the broadcasting part of the Ultra HD ecosystem and was the first to broadcast a live football match and a live concert in the new HEVC compression standard.”

“Ultra HD currently is a reality for millions of viewers worldwide, with the first global broadcast channel launching on SES satellites. There is no better way to broadcast Ultra HD than over satellite and we are delighted that Fashion One is also relying on our expertise for the playout, encoding and up linking of their Ultra HD channel,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service