DTH vendor Tata Sky, which has presence in 36,000 Indian towns with over 13.5 million connections, is planning to launch 4k set top boxes (STBs) by early next year.

Tata Sky showcased the first ever Live telecast with 4K technology on Sony Six HD using a 4k set top box in an event held last night in association with Multi Screen Media.

The first quarter final of 2014 FIFA World Cup – between France and Germany on Friday — was telecast on SD, HD and an (4k enabled) UltraHD television from Sony Electronics with live 4k feed of the football match on Sony Six HD.

4K at 8.3 Megapixels (3840×2160) has approximately four times the pixilation as 2K (1920×1080) the current HD standard, offering better clarity and more vivid colors on screen for viewers.

Earlier, Tata Sky, a joint venture between the Tata Group and 21st Century Fox, launched the HD PVR (Personal Video Recorder), Video-On-Demand (VOD) service, interactive services, Karaoke service, etc. in India.

Vikram Mehra, chief commercial officer at Tata Sky, said: “4k UHD STBs is the future for our subscribers.  We are very happy to bring this preview to India for the first time together with Sony Six, showcasing the world’s biggest sporting festival.”