OTT Sees Ultra HD as Differentiator

Although 1080p TV screens are now the norm and mobile screen resolutions continue to climb, "plenty" of streamed HD content is still distributed in 720p or lower, according to ABI Research. Over-the-top providers, which distribute content exclusively over the Internet, are more likely to embrace 1080p and Ultra HD for connected devices as it makes them appear more innovative. Traditional distributors are more likely to continue utilizing 720p for TV Everywhere content as their primary distribution channel consists of smartphones and tablets.

However, ABI Senior Analyst Michael Inouye said Pay TV operators will consider 4K movie services over IP connections to smart TVs before rolling out 4K capable set-top boxes in 2015-2017. This will allow them to compete with OTT providers on feature set. Meanwhile, TV manufacturers like Samsung and Sony are trying to get 4K content out there now, to convince consumers to purchase the higher priced sets. Sony is releasing remastered content on download-based movie players and Samsung has offered a free USB HDD with two full-length 4K videos and additional 4K clips.