Advanced Television

Pay TV

Takeover rumours circle Setanta

Pay-TV sports broadcaster Setanta Sports was at the centre of takeover speculation after reports of a £1 billion-plus (E1.4bn) offer for the business. The Irish company received the unsolicited approach from a unnamed European media company and the interest could spark a flood of rival offers, reported the Sunday Telegraph. BT, Virgin Media and US […]

February 12, 2008

Sogecable launches Canal+HD

From David Del Valle in Madrid The largest Spanish pay-TV group, Sogecable, is the first company in the country to distribute nationwide a High Definition channel with the launch of Canal + HD, the HD version of its premium pay-TV service. On trial since last December, the channel will offer a regular HD transmission to […]

February 1, 2008

CSA calls for HD DTT bids

France's broadcasting regulator, the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA), has issued a call for bids to broadcast a High Definition pay-TV service on one of the country's digital terrestrial multiplexes. The opportunity is available to all pay-TV services currently authorised on DTT who wish to replace their current Standard Definition broadcast with HD. Bids will […]

February 1, 2008

Pay-TV content war

From David Del Valle in Madrid The main Spanish pay-TV operators Digital Plus (DTH), ONO (cable) and Imagenio (IPTV) are strengthening their programming line-up in a tough fight for capturing new subscribers. They are upgrading their TV packages with the addition of new TV channels and services. Digital Plus is launching the local TV channel […]

January 9, 2008

DTV penetration 43% in 2012

The proportion of digital TV subscribers worldwide is predicted to exceed 40 per cent by 2012 according to a report by the Korea Information Society Development Institute. The report said the current rate is 22 per cent with 239 million subscribers and the number will exceed 43 per cent with 540 million by 2012. North […]

January 7, 2008

Turner brands for Mobix

Turner Broadcasting System and Mobix have launched three of Turner's most popular brands as on-portal video-on-demand propositions and via Sky's mobile TV pack. Following on from the successful broadcast launch of the country's leading lad's mag on Freeview, Nuts TV is now available to all operators as a mobile TV channel. Also available as an […]

January 4, 2008

CCTV launches HD

China’s Central Television (CCTV) has commenced the launch of its high definition TV services. The service rolled out on 1st January, will first broadcast in Beijing, and then throughout the country over the next few years. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has unveiled the technical standards to receive the HD channels signals. […]

January 4, 2008

Discovery joins the Picnic

Discovery Networks UK is to offer a factual channel on Picnic TV, the new pay-TV service that Sky proposes to launch on UK digital terrestrial television. Discovery becomes the second third-party broadcaster to join the proposed service following confirmation that Disney would become the channel provider for children's entertainment. The Discovery Channel will be available […]

January 4, 2008

NDS, Kaon support ASTER

NDS, provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, has joined forces with Kaonmedia (Kaon) to deliver digital set-top boxes (STB) and DVRs, including a DVR for viewing in High Definition, to ASTER, a provider of media and communication services in Poland.

December 31, 2007

Widevine partners with Digital Latin America

Digital Latin America, provider of digital content and applications for Latin America, and Widevine Technologies, provider of multiformat, multiplatform content protection and watermarking solutions, have partnered to secure content for digital pay-TV operators throughout Latin America. Widevine will encrypt and watermark content that DLA delivers to 23 countries to fulfil content owners‚ requirements for licensing […]

December 31, 2007