This article was originally posted by Joseph Czikk on Techvibes.com
Evan Kosiner is at it again.
The Canadian serial entrepreneur, who owns eight companies while running one of Canada’s most successful non-profits, is announcing the launch of his new television station, Bulb Television.
The signal will be made available to cable and satellite companies in a newly announced high definition format which is approximately four times greater than standard 1080 HD.
Kosiner said he believes that Bulb TV is North America’s first television signal to begin transmitting at just under 4000 x 2200 pixels. Most standard HD signals transmit from between 8-15 megabits per second (mbps). Bulb TV’s stream currently runs at about 50 mbps and initial testing completed on Bulb TV’s internal transmission systems has shown the signal to have “unbelievable clarity.”
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The channel is even the first to announce that they will be launching an 8K channel “ideally as soon as mid-2014”.
“Bulb TV’s content is all about innovation, 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,” said Kosiner. “The idea came up several months ago that if we’re already building a new master control, let’s be the first to break ground with this new revolutionary technology.”
Bulb TV will be transmitting the signal to distributers, but Canadian companies have yet to implement 4000 pixel broadcasting. Sony has already unveiled pricing and availability for its two “4k Ultra HDTV” sets, but most companies intending to transmit the signal expect to by the end of the year. Until then Bulb TV must accept Canadian carriers running its channel at 1080 HD.
“As soon as the technology is there, we’re going to be one of the only, if not the only channel producing and acquiring content in 4K,” Kosiner told Techvibes.
The 25-year-old is the youngest Canadian to ever apply for and receive a license from the CRTC when he did so in May 2012. Now it appears Bulb TV will be his most innovative venture yet. As Kosiner mentioned the channel will not favour traditional half-hour programming. Instead it will feature longer, rotating “intellectual programming of conferences, interstitials and shows with substance from around the world”. The channel will largely be devoted to innovation and entrepreneurship.
Interestingly, in February of this year DirecTV bought the trademarks for the terms “4K”, “4KN”, “4KNetwork”, “4K Network” and “4KNET”. Unfortunately the company doesn’t actually have the resources to do anything with their new trademarks. Meanwhile Kosiner is surging ahead with his channel, but can’t technically use the term “4K”.
Bulb TV is set for launch in May and June of this year on various Canadian cable, satellite and IPTV distributors.