Advanced Television

Broadcast

DirecTV orders 4 launchers

Arianespace has used Euroconsult’s Paris conference to announce it had won a 4-launch contract from DirecTV to place new DTH satellites into orbit. Two of the orders are firm, while the other two are currently in the shape of options. All four satellites will weigh in at over 6 metric tonnes and will be a […]

September 14, 2011By Chris Forrester

Mexico DTV penetration just 13.2%

Only about 3.5 million Mexican households, or 13.2 per cent of the total, have a digital television, complicating the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, the Federal Telecommunications Commission of Mexico (Cofetel) has said. The shift from analogue to digital television started in 2004 and was supposed to be completed in 2015 but has now […]

September 14, 2011

Verizon’s FiOS hit by strikes, weather

Verizon says a recent two-week strike by many of its 45,000 unionised workforce resulted in at least 100,000 lost FiOS Internet TV installs taking place. The problems were not helped by the two huge storms that affected many of its subscribers. While many former Verizon staff and managers stepped in to keep essential services going, […]

September 14, 2011By Chris Forrester

CSA recommends DVB-T2

CSA, the French TV and radio regulator, has proposed the immediate adoption of the DVB-T2 broadcasting standard and MPEG-4 compression standard for all new DTT channels. If adopted by the government, the recommendation would require most consumers to change their STBs and TV sets for equipment that is not expected to be available to the […]

September 13, 2011

TV worldwide defies recession

IDATE’s 21st edition of its biannual “World TV Markets” says the worldwide market represents €301 billion in 2010, a progression of 7.8 per cent compared to 2009. “Despite advertising spending’s sensitivity to economic activity, the effects of the 2008-2009 financial and economic crisis had less of an effect on the TV market than it did […]

September 13, 2011

Canada: ‘We want level playing field for Netflix’

Canadian pay-TV producer Astral Media says foreign Internet competitors such as movie provider Netflix should be subject to the same rules as Canadian broadcasters, noting digital competitors don’t contribute to local programming or pay taxes. “They come here and don’t spend a penny,” chief executive Ian Greenberg said. “They don’t have any rules whatsoever. Taxes […]

September 13, 2011

Discovery enters Spain’s FTA DTT market

Discovery Networks has entered into an alliance with Spanish DTT channel Veo Television, owned by Unidad Editorial, to launch a FTA DTT channel in January 2012. The new channel will broadcast documentaries and non-fiction series from the Discovery’s library along with current affairs programmes and talk shows made by Unidad Editorial, among them a political […]

September 13, 2011From David Del Valle in Madrid

Class TV MSNBC relaunches

Italian news and information channel Class TV MSNBC is relaunching with a new schedule based on hit movies and TV series from the USA, together with a selection of locally produced series. Thanks to an agreement with NBC Universal, ClassTV MSNBC will offer an attractive prime time line-up, including movies from major American directors. The […]

September 13, 2011From Branislav Pekic in Rome

DirecTV goes for Hybrid in Argentina

DirecTV is to supply a hybrid receiver and satellite set-top box for its Argentinean viewers. The idea is to supply a DTT tuner in order to receive terrestrial signals alongside DirecTV’s portfolio of satellite transmissions.   Argentine Página 12 newspaper states that DirecTV is already testing the device that will also be installed together with […]

September 13, 2011By Chris Forrester

Russians find ‘lost’ satellite

Russia’s giant Express-AM4 satellite, placed into a near-useless orbit on August 18th, has been found, and ground-controllers are in contact with the craft. They report that the satellite has partially deployed its solar arrays and is in a safe stand-by mode awaiting further instructions. Astrium, which built Express-AM4, say that the craft is so far […]

September 13, 2011By Chris Forrrester