OSN prepares the ground for 4K UHD with Eutelsat deal

Middle East pay TV provider OSN is taking additional capacity on Eutelsat 8 West B to support the expansion of its offering, including the introduction of 4K ultra HD channels.

The pair unveiled a new contract at this week’s Cabsat show in Dubai.

OSN will use the new capacity to launch ultra HD services and ramp up its HD offering with the addition of eight new channels and more to come.

OSN recently announced the addition of OSN Movies HD Family, OSN First HD – the Home of HBO and OSN Yahala Cinema HD along with international channels H2 HD, BBC First HD, Discovery Family HD and IDX HD.

“We are enthusiastic about this additional capacity which will allow us to offer superior TV quality to our viewers. Our plans to move into Ultra HD reflect our continuous ambition to raise the bar and be at the forefront of the latest TV technology,” said OSN chief technology officer Mark Billinge.

Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s Deputy CEO and chief commercial and development officer, said: “Following the launch in August last year of the powerful Eutelsat 8 West B satellite, this contract marks a new milestone in the growth story of the most popular satellite TV neighbourhood in the Middle East. We are honoured to celebrate 10 years of collaboration with OSN and are committed to furthering our longstanding presence and strong partnerships across the region, including playing our part in the roll-out of HD and the launch of Ultra HD.”