HyppTV is providing Malaysians with a taste of the future of television broadcasting. The IPTV service is currently holding a showcase in Sunway Pyramid to provide the public with a preview of what 4K video looks like.
The showcase will not only be previewing what broadcasts look like in 4K, it will also be tying in with the ongoing Olympics. Naturally, HyppTV is the official IPTV broadcaster for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Malaysia. It should also be noted that the broadcast of the games is being shared for free over HyppTV, even for those who are not subscribed.
Jeremy Kung, Executive Vice President of New Media, wouldn’t say when 4K broadcasts would be made rolling out to the general public. However, we got the impression that this showcase is to test the waters for a future release. Kung had explained that 4K would be introduced if there was demand for the service in Malaysia; and that it is currently an issue of supply and demand.
Creating demand for 4K content would be an interesting challenge for the entertainment industry. It would be a significant investment for consumers, considering that 4K capable TVs are not entirely affordable at the moment. In addition to this, Kung admitted that the current HyppTV set-top box is unable to handle 4K content.
However, it would appear that TM has been laying the groundwork to make 4K content delivery possible. Kung explained that consumers would need a connection speed of 25Mbps for an optimal experience; and it looks like there are plans to expand the existing 8/10Mbps dedicated line to cope with the extra demands should the need arrive.
For now, Malaysians can head over to Sunway Pyramid from 9-23 August for a taste of 4K content. At least until there are enough people asking for UHD content to justify HyppTV making concrete plans for the future.
