DirecTV is moving ahead with a plan to offer a sampling of VOD fare in the eye-popping 4K format on Samsung TVs and push ahead with some 4K live streaming next year, Mike White, DirecTV’s president and CEO said on the company’s third quarter earnings call Thursday.
“We always want to be leading our industry as a company, and 4K is no exception,” he said.
But DirecTV will take a measured approach with Ultra HD as consumer demand for 4K sets starts to heat up.
White said the first, VOD-only 4K product will be introduced in the fourth quarter, noting that customers will initially need 4K-ready TVs from Samsung and DirecTV’s Genie HD-DVR (pictured) to view that programming. White estimated that DirecTV’s 4K menu will feature some pre-loaded movies for instant viewing, and the option to download others. Comcast is also expected to launch a 4K VOD streaming app on Samsung TVs before the end of the year.
