UHD Alliance's Founding Members Issue Call for Contributing Members

The founding members of the UHD Alliance, the formation of which was announced at CES, issued a call Tuesday for contributing members to join the group and help “advance a new and differentiated entertainment experience for Ultra HD including high dynamic range, wide color gamut, high frame rate and advanced audio.” Founding members are DirecTV, Disney, Dolby Labs, Fox, Netflix, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Technicolor and Warner. Though LG and Sharp were listed among the founding members when the alliance was announced at CES (see 1501050023), neither was listed in Tuesday’s announcement, nor appears on the member roster at the alliance’s website. LG and Sharp representatives didn’t comment. The alliance’s goal “is to ensure these technologies, coupled with performance metrics, will deliver a premium entertainment experience throughout the Ultra HD ecosystem from content creation to consumer enjoyment,” the group said in a statement: “In addition to working discussions around technical specifications and certification details, the UHD Alliance will help develop industry-standard branding so that consumers can clearly identify certified premium UHD content and devices offered in the marketplace." Hanno Basse, chief technology officer at Fox Films, has been named the alliance’s first president, and Victor Matsuda, the Sony executive who has chaired the Blu-ray Disc Association’s global promotions committee, is its spokesman. The alliance also has formed working groups for promotions, certifications and technical specifications, its website says. “The belief at Technicolor is that no one company can build the infrastructure for future storytelling experiences alone, so an open, collaborative framework is essential to mobilizing innovation and promoting integration by the entire value chain," said Vince Pizzica, Technicolor senior executive vice president-corporate development and technology, in a statement. "Welcoming new members into the UHD Alliance is an important first step as we work across the ecosystem on open standards for the next generation of entertainment experiences that ensure the industry can move forward together.”