4K broadcast offers four times the excitement

(From left) Wu, Astro Group chief operating officer Liew Swee Lin, Lee and Samsung head of consumer electronics Jimmy Tan at the launch of Astro’s first 4K UHD live telecast match.

ASTRO achieved a historic milestone with the launch of Malaysia’s first live 4K UHD broadcast.

The media company showcased the opening English Premier League games between Liverpool vs West Ham and Arsenal vs Man City in the country’s first 4K UHD broadcast for fans at its partner food and beverage outlet, Souled Out.

Astro Sport chief Lee Choong Khay said, “At Astro, we are committed to provide a better viewing experience for sports fans in Malaysia. As such, we will embrace the latest technology, 4K UHD, to enhance our customers’ viewing experience.

“We are pleased to partner with Sharp and Samsung to provide Premier League fans with the first live match in Malaysia. Besides the Premier League, we will also bring Formula One racing events and blockbuster movies in 4K UHD to offer our customers’ a premium viewing experience,” added Lee.

Meanwhile, Samsung Malaysia Electronics president Yoonsoo Kim said Samsung is proud to be working with Astro to introduce a next-level viewing experience with its 4K and Super Large Screen TVs.

Souled Out marketing chief Cassie Wong said Souled Out has always been synonymous with sports and it is an honour that they get to host the first live 4K UHD broadcast of Premier League.

Fans were entertained to two entertaining matches with plenty of goals and were left thrilled with the new viewing experience.

Mohd Sulaiman, an avid Liverpool fan said, “Experiencing the Liverpool match in 4K UHD was magnificent. I was so immersed in the game.”

With 4K UHD, viewers will experience the most vibrant colour television experience possible, sharper detail, smoother lines and a richer colour palette.

The roll-out of the 4K UHD will coincide with the start of the 2018/19 Premier League, with Astro planning to broadcast selected live matches in the 8 million pixel packed stunning format.

The detail is so rich that one might even see the bead of sweat trickling down the player’s forehead.

The 4K UHD broadcast of the Premier League is a preview of Astro’s plans to unveil its 4K UHD set top box later this year.

Astro will progressively roll out the 4K UHD service on dedicated channels, a brand-new software and programme guide to make content discovery easy and intuitive as well as other innovative product features.