EPB is adding the next generation of television service to its video lineup at the same time it is giving consumers of its basic Fi TV service enhanced options for video recording and high-definition TV.
Just in time for the summer Olympics in Brazil that begin next week, EPB announced today it will begin offering 4K ultra high definition viewing to the Chattanooga market with the launch of its Fi TV Select. The new service will give consumers more options for both the channels they receive and the quality and recording options they have.
Previously, EPB's video service provided high-definition TV and its top DVR recording options only to those who bought the premium channel service with the nearly 200 channels. The new plan, which will begin on Monday, allows consumers who get only the basic 18-channel Bronze plan to also get HD television and DVR service.
"Our customers are really expecting HD to be a normal part of their service," EPB President David Wade told utility directors today during their monthly board meeting. "Our customers also tell us they want more flexibility of choice."
EPB also is debuting 4K television service, which is an even higher definition screen quality than high-definition television. The 4K service requires a new 4K-accessible television set and is now available only for a limited number of programs and streaming shows. But NBC is planning on some 4K broadcasts, starting next week, for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
One of the new options EPB is introducing will allow viewers to play any of the top network shows that were broadcast in the past 24 hours. The new service, known as Timeshift, will be available on 25 popular channels up to 24 hours from when the shows aired.
"You won't have to record these shows to be able to call them up and watch them on your own schedule," Wade said.
The changes are the biggest for EPB's video service in more than six years, Wade said.
The new 4K service and extra recorded options are possible because of EPB's fiber optic network, which the utility built in 2010 to enhance its electric grid. It provides a bigger pipeline into homes to handle all of the data needed for the new services. EPB also has added more computer storage capability for shows and programming at its fiber optics control center at Oak and Greenwood Streets in Chattanooga.
Wade said EPB Fi TV customers don't have to change their existing service, if they want, and no price changes are planned for those who continue with their current plans. But the new options give EPB customers new customizing choices:
First, customers must choose a channels package to pick how many TV channels they want (either 18-channel Bronze, 89-channel Silver or 162-channel Gold).
Secondly, consumers will choose a features package to pick whether they want high definition or the new 4K service, along with different options for DVR and Timshift services.
Third, consumers will have the option to buy additional premium channels, such as the sports or Latino packages.
The new Fi TV Select will come with free installation, EPB spokesman John Pless said.
The new 4K service is available for limited number of satellite TV channels, but so far the higher definition TV is not yet available in Chattanooga on Comcast cable.
More information is available about the new EPB services at www.epb.com or at (423) 648-1372.