TORONTO – The first North American TV channel to transmit via a 4K HDTV pixel feed has been launched in Toronto.
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| Bulb TV founder Evan Kosiner |
Bulb TV, founded by Evan Kosiner, is a Canadian Category B licensed TV service approved by the CRTC last May, and will feature content focusing on innovation and ideas. It has no MSO carriage deals in place as yet.
The channel has been transmitting a 4000 pixel feed for internal testing purposes over the last several weeks and will be releasing the signal in 4,000 pixel, 1080 HD and standard definition formats upon its launch scheduled for next month.
The new format, presented at last week at the NAB convention in Las Vegas, is approximately four times the amount of pixels of a typical 1080 High Definition signal.
“Bulb TV’s content is all about innovation and ideas and social conferences. We’re airing content in a non-traditional programming cycle where we don’t stick to half hour and hour conventions. The idea came up several months ago that if we’re building a new master control anyway, let’s be the first to break ground with this new revolution technology as well,” Kosiner said in a release.
Content will begin to be produced in-house and acquired in the 4000 pixel format. Content filmed in the existing 1080p HD format will be converted with a process described as “up converting.”
“Bulb TV also plans to introduce an 8000 pixel feed as soon as technology is feasible. This might be as soon as 2014 once the H.265 codec and encoders become readily available. Our 4,000 pixel feed currently streams at approximately 50mbps,” Kosiner added.
Bulb Television received two broadcast decisions from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission in May 2012.
Entrepreneur Kosiner is a recipient of The Governor General's Caring Canadian Award and host of a Toronto call-in show called Entrepreneurial. He graduated last year from Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts program.
Bulb TV is currently set to launch in markets across Canada in May and June of this year on cable, satellite and IPTV.
