NanoTech Entertainment (OTCPINK: NTEK), a pioneer in bringing the 4K Ultra HD experience to consumers, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Hisense Electronics, the leader in the 4K Ultra HD TV industry. Under the agreement, NanoTech’s all 4K UltraFlix Network App will be bundled with Hisense’s 4K Ultra HD TV product line. Financial terms were not disclosed.
With the agreement, Hisense customers will have one-click access to the world’s largest library of 4K VOD content. By clicking the UltraFlix application button, viewers will be able to stream more than 500 hours of stunning 4K travel and nature documentaries, including 40 made for IMAX theatrical titles. Martial Arts enthusiasts will be able to watch dozens of stunning 4K Ultra HD martial arts movies exclusively on the Iron Dragon TV channel in UltraFlix. In addition, users can experience a wide selection of action/thriller, comedy, drama and family movies as well as breath-taking extreme sports videos, concerts, TV shows and moving murals plus 100 hours of free content.
“Giving our consumers access to 4K content is key, and UltraFlix provides an incredible library of 4K Ultra HD content,” said Erin Magee, Marketing Director of Hisense. “We can now provide consumers with the best options for streaming 4K VOD content combined with the best 4K Ultra HD TV experience.”
The market for 4K Ultra HD TVs continues to expand faster than predicted. HIS Technology reported that sales of 4K Ultra HD TVs are forecast to reach up to 15M sets in 2014, up from just 3M TVs in 2013. This category is expected to grow to 36M in 2015 and to 49M, 60M and 69M respectively through 2018. Most analysts emphasize the importance of the availability of 4K content in driving the success of 4K adoption. According to Informa Telecoms & Media, revenue from pure OTT services like NanoTech’s UltraFlix is estimated to grow from $14 billion in 2013 to $37 billion by 2017.
UltraFlix streams video at four times the resolution of today’s full High-Definition TVs. With more than 8 million pixels of resolution in 4K Ultra HD, compared to just two million pixels in HD, the software provides a remarkably superior viewing experience with incredible color, image edge clarity and increased depth perception. By leveraging the latest HEVC compression standards along with NanoTech’s 4K Studios proprietary methods, NanoTech’s UltraFlix streaming 4K Ultra HD software achieves up to 50 percent better compression than with H.264; effectively delivering the same 4K Ultra HD quality at nearly half the bitrate. With enhanced video compression, adaptive streaming and intelligent bandwidth management technologies, UltraFlix can stream visually lossless 4K video with uninterrupted viewing at under 8Mbps, making 4K Ultra HD available to most North American and European internet subscribers today.
“Hisense has been China’s largest TV manufacturer, and is now making a significant play for the US market,” said Aaron Taylor, NanoTech’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With distribution deals with major outlets including Costco, Best Buy and Walmart, UltraFlix- powered Hisense 4K TVs will reach huge market penetration this holiday season. We are very excited to partner with Hisense. We believe 4K is the Future of Television and look forward to the relationship as we deliver the most exciting 4K technologies consumers can experience.”
