NASA Readies Ultra HD TV Channel for Satellite, Cable, and Streaming

The upcoming station will be the first non-commercial consumer UHD channel in North America.  

NASA and Harmonic have revealed plans to launch an Ultra HD TV channel. NASA TV UHD will offer 4K content to a variety of platforms.

"As NASA reaches new heights and reveals the unknown, the NASA TV UHD channel can bring that journey to life in every home. And as organizations at the forefront of innovation, together we are leading the adoption of this exciting technology," said Peter Alexander, chief marketing officer at Harmonic. "As the leader in UHD development, Harmonic provides a complete solution for Ultra HD video production and delivery, enabling content and service providers to offer better video quality at a low total cost of ownership."

The channel will use an end-to-end UHD video delivery system from Harmonic to offer linear 2160p60 video content. NASA TV UHD programs will be sourced from high-resolution images and videos taken on the International Space Station and other current NASA missions. Likewise, content will also be culled from re-mastered footage of historical missions, highlighting the beauty of space. 

Exact distribution partners for NASA TV UHD have not been announced yet, but Harmonic is working with pay TV providers to offer the channel on satellite, cable and optical networks. In addition, NASA TV UHD will also be available to stream over the internet and will require a connection speed of at least 13 MBps. The channel is set to launch on November 1.

Source: NASA via Engadget

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.