Imagine watching a football match on the big screen where David Beckham runs in a vivid yellow jersey across the green grass. And when he gets mad for not hitting the ball right, the viewer can clearly observe each line and sweat on his displeased face.
This is about to get real as Rogers promises to make live sports streaming available in 4K.
Ultra-high definition, also dubbed 4K, is a term used for screen resolution four times more detailed than the already-perfect Full HD. Given the bankable color, light and detail precision of Full HD, it's very intriguing that people would even ask for more, but 4K exploded in 2015.
The Canadian communications and media company is eager to broadcast more than a hundred live events in 4K, including all 81 Blue Jays home games and more than 100 hours of 4K movies via the Shomi service.
Leveling up further, Rogers will also bring forward High Dynamic Range (HDR) – a cutting-edge advancement that produces real-life visuals with richer resolution, color saturation and contrast – in April 2016 for the Blue Jays' home opener.
The prime wireless phone and cable company, which also owns the Toronto Blue Jays, is hoping to take advantage of its sports assets like the Major League Baseball team as well as its long-term NHL hockey broadcast rights to bring the new standard to viewers.
Guy Laurence, president and CEO of Rogers Communications, made the announcement from the Blue Jays' home plate.
"4K TV sets have been in the market for some time and 40 percent of all TV sales are likely to be 4K this holiday season. However, until now live TV broadcasts in 4K have been few and far between and customers have not been able to get 4K set-top boxes," says Laurence in an official statement.
"We are solving both problems in one go with the world's largest commitment to 4K broadcasting and a new 4K set top box for customers that will allow customers to see sports and entertainment in the highest resolution and with the fastest internet speeds," he adds. "4K gets you closer to the action than the linesman and first base coach, and HDR brings those images to life with intense color and contrast."
The company hopes to woo viewers to an upgraded set-top box and faster Internet. The cost to upgrade its broadcasting technology is factored into Roger's investment spending.
To enable 4K streaming, Rogers' Ignite Gigabit Internet will start to roll out in the next three months in downtown Toronto and communities across the Greater Toronto Area including Toronto's Harbourfront, Cabbagetown-Riverdale, Queen Street West, King Street West, Discovery District, Financial District and Yonge and Bloor neighborhoods. Next year, Rogers will expand the service to all of Ontario and to Atlantic Canada. By the end of 2016 subscribers will have access to gigabit Internet speeds.
Founded by Ted Rogers in 1960, Rogers started out as a radio station. Over five decades, the institution grew into a converged media and communications powerhouse. The company's philosophy – "The best is yet to come" – pushes it to find ways to transform the way people live and work.
The company's interesting mix of assets include sports, Canadian shows, radio stations, magazine, and online shopping sites.
