Liberty Global Launches 'Horizon 4' Next-Generation Entertainment Platform

Liberty Global, the world’s largest international TV and broadband company, has unveiled its cutting-edge next-generation TV entertainment platform, 'Horizon 4', at the company’s annual Tech Summit in Amsterdam.

The new Horizon 4 suite of products includes a superfast set-top box with 4K Ultra HD picture quality, a remote-control with voice capabilities and an upgraded version of Liberty's 'GO' mobile app, which works together with the set-top box to deliver a seamless viewing experience. The platform will be introduced over the coming months to selected customers in The Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium, with a wider rollout in these and other Liberty Global markets to follow.

The new, modern-design Horizon 4 set-top box has already been introduced as the ‘V6 box’ in the UK, where nearly 2 million customers¹ are now using it in combination with TiVo software. The new platform to be rolled out in the coming months combines this set-top box with the new Horizon 4 user interface instead, which includes enhanced features such as:

• Access to linear TV, Replay and Video on Demand;
• Apps such as Netflix and YouTube – all in up to 4K Ultra HD picture quality;
• Cloud storage of recordings – eliminating the need for a built-in hard drive;
• At a later stage a wide, constantly-updated selection of web videos and online TV channels will be available;
• All content is accessible via the single easy-to-use, newly-designed user interface;
• A new remote with voice capabilities to control the box or search for things to watch just by speaking into the remote, offering an easier and more intuitive way of getting access to features and content.

Also part of the new platform is a further enhanced version of the 'GO' mobile app which allows customers:

• To watch content on-the-go – be it linear TV, replay or on-demand, whenever and wherever they want;
• 'Download to go' functionality for a significant amount of content when going abroad or for viewing in an area without wifi or mobile coverage;
• Viewers can continue watching the same program where they left off on a different device – whether that be a mobile, tablet, laptop or TV;
• The mobile app can also be used to control the set-top box or use 'push to TV' functionality to watch content on the big screen after searching for it with the app.

Enrique Rodriguez, Liberty Global’s EVP and Chief Technology Officer, commented: “Horizon 4 brings our customers the best user experience from Liberty Global’s ‘one platform’ strategy. Our teams develop a common set of products and services which are then rolled out across our local operating companies. This allows us to achieve significant scale and operating synergies. The launch of this latest instalment of our next-gen digital TV platform marks an important step in our journey of bringing great innovation in connected entertainment.”