Charlie Ergen’s Echostar last week started preparing to “transmit” channels in 1080p, calling the ground-breaking new system TurboHD. We now have more information on the service, which represents a very clever way of using set-top box technology (and not much else) to deliver a compelling product to pay-TV subscribers.
TurboHD is Dish Network’s name for a new pay-per-view level of movie
channels. They claim it matches Blu-ray quality, and is available where
users have an MPEG4-equipped receiver, plus an HD-enabled hard drive.
Dish says its new TurboHD services are supported by a proprietary
system software upgrade that, starting August 1, was being rolled out
to all their MPEG-4 HD DVR receivers. By early August, all Dish
customers with MPEG-4 HD DVR receivers will have the only set-top boxes
in the nation enabled to display 1080p content, “allowing them to
maximize the full potential of their 1080p-compatible HDTV sets”.
The software upgrade commenced a few days ago, and Dish’s “channels”
are now on air, says Dish. Ergen described the new service, which
kicked off with a 1080p version of I Am Legend, telling analysts on
August 4 that 10 or 15 channels will be created.
Ergen said: “Realize that we're starting with pay per view movies, our
video on demand. So, the way that works is we don't actually need a lot
of capacity because we actually download that in the middle of the
night [direct] to your hard drive, so it doesn't take up a full linear
channel. It takes us a couple of hours to download and then it was
done. No more capacity was needed for that movie in 1080p. I think you
will probably [get the same] from DirecTV.” Ergen said it was only
satellite that could deliver this degree of quality and choice to
consumers.
The question of whether a similar service could be offered to UK
viewers is very definitely “yes”. Eric Cooney, CEO of professional
compression equipment supplier Tandberg, speaking ahead of the giant
NAB convention in Las Vegas in April, said: “Today’s broadcasters have
concentrated on 1080i or 720p and this will change. The Holy Grail is
to shift to 1080p at 50/60 Hertz. Our current partners are asking us
for this additional functionality in order to deliver a superb customer
experience and operational advantage. Operators are asking us these
questions today, and this keeps our R&D technicians busy. I see
this happening in the next three years, without doubt. The consumer
electronics people are ready. TV displays, projectors, they are
increasingly 1080p full high-definition. My guess is that it will be
satellite that first offers these high-end services. It isn’t difficult
to see the reasons why. Satellite, helped by further compression, could
deliver these services as a distinct competitive advantage over cable
and IP.”
In other words, pay-TV operators like BSkyB, or indeed anyone
transmitting an MPEG4-based HDTV service to a hard drive-equipped box
could match the Dish Network service tomorrow. Using abundant overnight
capacity, the likes of BSkyB could efficiently download movies, or
high-quality entertainment series like 24 into our homes overnight and
at Blu-ray quality at “real” HDTV rates of 1080p/60Hz. Whether viewers
would pay extra for a 1080p service (on a PPV basis) is another
argument, but as an additional incentive for viewers to trade up to an
HDTV service, the prospect is a no-brainer.
