08-09 - TELE-satellite International Magazine
08-09 - TELE-satellite International Magazine
08-09 - TELE-satellite International Magazine
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channels are available to customers who subscribe to the “iO<br />
interactive optimum digital” package, at no extra charge.<br />
BET LAUNCHES HD POWERED BY MOTOROLA<br />
BET has implemented Motorola’s HD MPEG-4/AVC encoding<br />
system to deliver its programming in HD. The deployed system<br />
has enabled BET to easily integrate new MPEG-4 HD channels<br />
with its existing DigiCipher II uplink systems to deliver high quality<br />
video with very efficient distribution and bandwidth utilization.<br />
BET will deploy a hybrid uplink system using SE-5100 HD,<br />
a real-time, full resolution high-definition and standard definition<br />
AVC video encoder which builds on the previously deployed<br />
DigiCipher II platform to distribute its programming via <strong>satellite</strong>.<br />
ARABIC IPTV SERVICE LAUNCHES IN NORTH AMERICA<br />
A set top box (STB)-based Arabic language TV service launched in<br />
North America during June, offering around 40 Arab TV channels<br />
to the estimated 500,000 Arabic speakers in the United States and<br />
Canada. TV2moro offers tiered packages, a la carte channels and<br />
on-demand content with monthly fees ranging from US$25-45.<br />
CONSOLIDATED SURPASSES 18.000 IPTV SUBSCRIBERS<br />
Consolidated Communications, which serves the three states of Illinois,<br />
Texas and Pennsylvania, added more than 1.500 subscribers to its<br />
IPTV service in the first quarter of this year to reach 18.207 customers<br />
by the end of March. The operator also extended its IPTV footprint past<br />
a further 4.500 homes in the three-month period, while its total DSL<br />
subscriber base numbered 94.600 customers by the end of last March.<br />
NEULION LAUNCHES ROMANIAN IPTV PLATFORM<br />
NeuLion has launched a new IPTV network for Romanian audiences<br />
in North America. iTVRSN provides viewers an extensive selection<br />
of Romanian TV programs from Romania and content includes<br />
more than 25 TV programs with exclusive distribution rights outside<br />
Romania. The Romanian-American Network estimates over 1.2 million<br />
Romanian Americans are presently living in North America.<br />
NORTH STATE CHOOSES TANDBERG FOR IPTV SERVICE<br />
North State Communications has selected Tandberg Television’s<br />
iPlex encoding and transcoding platform as its new IPTV head<br />
end, receiving content directly from broadcasters and delivering<br />
it to subscribers in MPEG-4 format. The new service will<br />
offer over 250 linear channels, including 50 HD channels.<br />
GULFPINES SELECTS FALCION IP/COMPLETE IPTV SOLUTION<br />
GulfPines Communications, a subsidiary of Mississippi-based<br />
Fail Telecommunications, has selected an end-to-end IPTV solution<br />
from Falcon IP/Complete and Verimatrix to rollout its new IPTV<br />
service. The Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS)<br />
for IPTV has been integrated with the Falcon IP/Complete IPTV<br />
delivery system, which includes content aggregation and delivery<br />
from <strong>satellite</strong>, router and DSLAM to set-top box, in order to<br />
facilitate the new IPTV service. The new service utilises Thomson<br />
middleware and includes PVR and parental lock features.<br />
RECORD SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR AT&T’s IPTV SERVICE<br />
AT&T’s IPTV service, U-Verse TV, added a record 284.000<br />
net subscribers in Q1 20<strong>09</strong> and now boasts a total base of<br />
more than 1.3 million users. U-verse TV is available in 93 markets<br />
across 19 states. The increase is due in part to AT&T’s<br />
DVR service, which allows users to record TV programs.<br />
The DVR service is free with most U-Verse packages.<br />
VERIZON FIOS TV ADDS 299.000 IPTV SUBSCRIBERS<br />
Verizon reported strong growth for its FiOS IPTV as the company now<br />
has 2.2 million subscribers to the service. Verizon added 299.000<br />
new FiOS TV customers in the first quarter, just slightly fewer than the<br />
303.000 it added in the fourth quarter of 20<strong>08</strong>. The company reported<br />
US$1.3 billion in revenues from broadband and video services.<br />
TERRESTAR-1 TO BE LAUNCHED ON JUNE 24TH<br />
TerreStar Networks, a majority owned subsidiary of TerreStar<br />
Corporation, and Space Systems/Loral, is planning to launch its<br />
first <strong>satellite</strong>, the TerreStar-1 on June 24 aboard the Ariane 5 launch<br />
vehicle. TerreStar-1 will be the largest commercial <strong>satellite</strong> ever<br />
launched and is designed to provide integrated <strong>satellite</strong> and terrestrial<br />
mobile services for critical communications using conventionallysized<br />
dual mode handsets. TerreStar-1 will be capable of generating<br />
over five hundred spot beams covering the Continental U.S.,<br />
Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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