GlobeCast selects Eutelsat’s EuroBird 9A satellite to launch HD distribution platform
April 11, 2011
To respond to increasing HD demand from its clients, GlobeCast has concluded a five-year contract with Eutelsat Communications for a third transponder on its EuroBird 9A satellite, which will carry a full HD DVB-S2 platform.
The first clients on the platform already include Eurosport and Fashion One. Eutelsat’s EuroBird 9A satellite was chosen for its potential to reach over five million direct-to-home and cable homes. The satellite’s proximity to Eutelsat’s Hot Bird video neighborhood at its 13 degrees east orbital location adds the opportunity for broadcasters to reach homes and headends equipped with dual-feed reception from both positions.
The platform is ideal for channels that want to reach a large audience, with a neighborhood of flagship broadcasters as well as prime access to cable networks and Internet service providers (ISPs). Channels currently in SD looking to launch an HD DVB-S2 offer, or existing HD channels looking for new options, will certainly benefit from this new choice. GlobeCast’s service to broadcasters can include content management, playout, and origination and encoding, among other features. Uplink to EuroBird 9A is possible from Paris: a central point that enjoys connectivity to over 30 points-of-presence (PoPs) via GlobeCast’s five-continent fiber network.
Broadcasting over 250 channels, including 35 already in HD, EuroBird 9A and its proximity to the 1,100 channels on Eutelsat’s Hot Bird offer clients of this new platform an ideal environment, bringing together the best international and regional channels in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.