The UHD Alliance has expanded UHD Premium specifications for additional content delivery devices such as streaming media players, set-top boxes and desktop PCs.
The expansion will offer consumers “more ways to enjoy a premium UHD experience and open new pathways for the delivery of premium content”.
“With 4K UHD TV shipments increasing by 42 per cent to 81 million in 2017, the one constant in a continually and rapidly changing content delivery environment is the consumer demand for a premium content experience regardless of the delivery platform,” said UHD Alliance chairman Michael Zink.
“To that end, whether they are viewing content delivered by a disc player, cable or satellite box, or a streaming media player, they can look for the Ultra HD Premium logo to identify products that deliver a premium experience in 4K UHD with HDR.”
The Alliance also announced it is broadening its mission to include monitoring and maximising interoperability between product categories.
The organisation has conducted an initial review of interoperability issues raised by consumers to identify common trends, with the aim of providing consumer, retail and manufacturer education to help ensure consumers get the best UHD experience possible.
“Our primary focus has been establishing Ultra HD Premium as the benchmark for excellence, and not only does it remain a core part of our mission, but we’re pleased that many companies are building their products to meet or exceed our specifications.” said UHD Alliance president Mike Fidler.
“That said, a lot of technology is coming at consumers very quickly, and often disparately, making it hard for them decipher what each of these technologies mean. As such, we think it’s critical that the Alliance take a broader view of consumer education and to expand our efforts for the benefit of the entire category.”
