BT launches Ultra HD subscription package

UK telecommunications provider BT has launched an all-new premium entertainment package using the telco's new set-top box.

According to the BT blog, the BT TV Ultra HD package is now available for purchase online, and includes Europe's first live sports channel in 4K Ultra HD Technology.

Ultra HD uses four times as many pixels as conventional HD (8.29 Million pixels for Ultra HD versus 2.07 Million for conventional HD), and doubles the refresh rate for images at 50 frames a second compared to 25 for conventional HD.

The top tier of BT's Ultra HD subscription system is called Entertainment Ultra HD, to cost £15 a month, and includes the following: 47 Premium channels, including 13 HD and 9 Kids' channels and a 1 TB set-top Ultra HD YouView+ box that can record up to 600 hours of SD content or 250 Hours of HD content.

The Entertainment Ultra HD tier also includes the BT Sport Pack, which has exclusive live UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches, the FA Cup, European Rugby Champions Cup, Barclays Premier League, SPFL, Aviva Premiership Rugby, MotoGP and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Getting the Entertainment Ultra HD package also gives the subscriber a voucher that takes up to £500 off an LG 4k Ultra HD Television.

According to BT, the first live broadcast to be covered by the sports pack will be the August 2 FA Community match at Wembley between Chelsea and Arsenal Football clubs, followed by the Barclays Premier League matchup of Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on August 8.

However, BT has clarified that to avail of the Entertainment Ultra HD package, a prior subscription to the BT Infinity broadband package is required, plus a one-time connection/installation fee of £44.

BT told Engadget that the Ultra HD subscription operates independently of the subscriber's normal Internet connection, but the subscription "needs the 38 Mbps broadband tarriff to get the channel."

"The best way to watch BT Sport is with BT TV. BT Sport Ultra HD is the next step in high definition TV and provides a truly cinematic viewing experience and is available only on BT TV," Delia Bushell, Managing director of BT TV and BT Sport said.

"We are proud to be innovating and leading the UK TV market with our Entertainment Ultra HD package which offers customers the best in premium TV", she added.