FierceCable is reporting that Comcast has officially delayed its plans to introduce a 4K/HDR-capable set-top box--which probably comes as no surprise to customers who have been waiting. Back in November 2015, Comcast said it planned to introduce a 4K- and HDR-capable set-top box in 2016, but nothing materialized. At a recent event, the executive director at Comcast Innovation Labs explained that the company is having trouble getting the decoders it needs to integrate 10-bit HEVC into set-tops.the planned box, to ensure the best experience.
From FierceCable
Having teased high-end videophiles for the last few years with the prospect of releasing 4K- and HDR-capable set-tops, Comcast has a new timeline for rolling out these technologies.
Speaking at Cable Next-Gen Technologies & Strategies, an event produced in Denver and covered by Light Reading, Joshua Seiden, executive director at Comcast Innovation Labs, said the rapid evolution of both 4K/UltraHD and High Dynamic Range has convinced Comcast engineers to slow their roll on deployments.
For example, after toying with the idea last year of releasing set-tops with the advanced display capabilities in time for the Summer Olympics, Comcast has held off until tech standards, such as 10-bit HEVC, can become more cooked.
Notable is HDR, which compared to 4K, has quickly emerged as a more provocative proposition for consumers. However, HDR wasn't a development priority until about 18 months ago.
"4K for us will always go with HDR," Seiden said.
Comcast wants to deploy set-tops that are not only both 4K- and HDR-capable, it now wants to implement the 10-bit High Efficiency Video Coding standard, which it believes will improve the experience.
Slowing the process, Seiden said, is the fact that Comcast is having trouble getting the decoders it needs to integrate 10-bit HEVC into set-tops.
To read the complete FierceCable article, click here.
Additional Resources
• Comcast to Launch Ultra HD Set-Top Box at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Visit the Comcast website for more company information.