Bengalureans witness world's first live cricket telecast of 4K action

Star Sports 4K to beam WC matches featuring India, semis and final

Twenty-nine HD channels might be threatening to wipe out the Standard Definition players from your TVs. But the HD channels now face a new threat: The world’s first Ultra-HD (4K) broadcast channel, four times sharper than HD.

Bengalureans had a feel of that ultra high clarity last week, as the India-South Africa World Cup match was beamed on Star Sports 4K at an Indiranagar outlet.

DTH player, Tata Sky had recently launched a 4K set top box to capitalise on the huge interest in the World Cup season.

The match, beamed on a 65-inch TV screen, was arguably a global first for live ultra-HD telecast on a dedicated 4K channel. The sharpness of every blade on the cricket field proved just why 4K could be the next big thing in television viewing, provided high volumes reduced UHD TV set prices.

For now, the live telecast of 4K content would be restricted to all World Cup matches featuring India in Australia, one quarter-final, one semi-final and the final. But, testing public response in the still nascent Ultra HD space, Tata Sky and the broadcasters are also offering visuals from Discovery Channel 4K.

Ultra High Definition beams content at a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which is four times the pixel size of full HD.  

The 4K technology had emerged 18 months back, but it took time for the ecosystem to be built up. Last July, the power of the ultra clarity visuals was demonstrated to the world through special screenings of four FIFA World Cup matches. But it took another seven months for Star Sports 4K to take shape.

High cost
So, what next? Despite the high cost of 4K sets -- the cheapest costs about a lakh rupees -- an estimated 90,000 units were sold countrywide till December 2014.

With the entry of DTH players such as Videocon into the Ultra HD market, the number of channels could grow.

“We are trying to get about 15 Hollywood films shot with 4K cameras. There are also many Do-It-Yourself videos shot on the highest resolution emerging,” a Tata Sky spokesperson told Deccan Herald.

The launch of 4K handycams and smartphones capable of shooting UHD videos is expected to trigger a huge spike in user developed content. Bollywood films shot on UHD could eventually drive the 4K growth.

However, the biggest consumption change could come when 4K TV prices fall to sub-Rs 60,000 levels.