Ericsson and Intelsat's existing business dealings have included the first ever transmission of a 4K Ultra HD satellite signal in North America in 2013. The new demo will be based on Intelsat 905 satellite located at 24.5° West, using the DVB-SX2 standard and an open, non-proprietary workflow.

"Our customers need to deliver the best possible content experiences and we are constantly seeking new ways to bring greater satisfaction to our customers' viewers," said Peter Ostapiuk, head of media product services, Intelsat. "This project marks an important next step in the future of broadcasting at a time when picture quality and the viewer experience are so vital to remaining competitive and retaining audiences."

Ericsson believes that the demo will show not improved picture quality and new experiences with HD HDR, while gaining even greater efficiencies in transponder utilisation. Indeed it asserts that by using the DVB-SX2 satellite broadcasting standard, Intelsat can enhance the quality of the HD contribution feed with HDR without incurring bandwidth losses, and so allowing satellite TV service providers to easily upgrade existing legacy infrastructures.

"The ability to deliver great content of ever higher quality is a must-have for any successful TV service provider," added Elisabetta Romano, vice president and head of TV and media, Ericsson. "As industry leaders in immersive TV, we have long been advocating the benefits of adding HDR into the potential for both HD and Ultra HD services, and we are excited to show that this can be done in an extremely efficient and cost-effective way with this new proof-of-concept."