Whole of SuperSport to go HD

MultiChoice will soon convert its last-remaining standard-definition SuperSport channels to high definition in South Africa.

SuperSport 9 and Maximo are the platform’s only two sports channels still broadcast in SD, and will be upgraded to HD later this month, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

SuperSport 9 is soon to be the home of Italian Serie A football and will be switched to HD on 15 August.

Maximo, which is available in Portuguese and offers mainly football, will make the switch a week earlier, on August 8, in time for the start of the new Premier League season.

SuperSport’s offering currently stands at 14 channels.

MultiChoice broadcasts its HD channels using 1080i, or a resolution of 1 920×1 080 pixels using interlaced technology. This is less bandwidth-intensive than 1080p broadcasting, or “full HD”, which uses progressive scan technology.

TechCentral reported in July that MultiChoice plans to launch 4K-quality streaming on its DStv Now service.

“We’re continuing to develop DStv Now, with 4K streaming in testing and smart TV and Apple TV apps on their way shortly,” said MultiChoice South Africa chief operating officer Mark Rayner in a statement at the time.

The company didn’t say exactly when 4K streaming would be available to end users, though spokesman Richard Boorman said it’s likely to arrive in “the coming months”. Streaming service Showmax, also owned by MultiChoice, is “looking at 4K”, too, but a launch is “further out”. — (c) 2018 NewsCentral Media