There’s a high degree of confidence among media professionals

There’s a high degree of confidence among media professionals that Ultra HD programming will become “the de facto norm” for TV viewing within the next decade, but there’s skittishness on their willingness to commit to programming decisions, said an Intelsat survey report released Tuesday (http://bit.ly/WEanvB). Intelsat commissioned research firm Market Connections to canvass Intelsat’s media customers in July on their awareness of and plans for Ultra HD content demand, development and distribution, the report said. Researchers interviewed 77 media professionals from 24 countries, and found that 85 percent believe 4K TV programs will become mainstream within 10 years, it said. However, “it appears that when it comes to making firm plans” for offering Ultra HD programming, “there are many decisions yet to come,” it said. While 23 percent of those canvassed indicated plans to launch 4K programming within the next four years, 54 percent either have no plans to launch such services or have not yet decided whether to do so, it said. Forty-two percent have made the decision to launch a 4K service and have a specific time frame for its rollout, it said. “Competitive differentiation, support for existing linear channel models, and attracting new subscribers were cited as the top media industry benefits of introducing” Ultra HD programming services, the report said. “Today’s multi-screen viewing environment provides consumers with a wealth of options for consuming content, and ... media companies are looking for ways to continue to deliver an exciting and differentiated experience to their existing linear channels."