C'est tellement facile: - TELE-satellite International Magazine

NEWS
did not say in which markets the channels will
be available. The cable operator still provides
less than 50 HD channels in many small and
mid-size markets due to bandwidth constraints
and other issues. Comcast has frequently issued
national press releases saying it will carry a
certain HD channel, but it might take months (if
then) before it’s actually added to each market.
DIRECTV ADDS FOX SOCCER HD
DirecTV has added the Fox Soccer Channel
in High-Definition just in time for the start
of the English Premier League season. The
Fox Soccer Channel has the broadcast rights
to carry EPL games. DirecTV is also working
to add Fox Soccer Plus in HD as well.
VERIZON ADDS TWO NEW HD
CHANNELS TO FIOS TV
Verizon’s FiOS TV customers received two new
HD channels in July, as the company launched
Nat Geo WILD HD and Investigation Discovery
HD. These two channels join FiOS TV’s channel
lineup which includes up to 142 HD channels and
more than 3,300 HD VOD titles every month.
L A T I N A M E R I C A
BRAZIL
HDTV & 3D Programmes
EMBRATEL OFFERS 9 HDTV
CHANNELS TO SUBSCRIBERS
The Via Embratel HDTV service started being
marketed in June, initially in Rio de Janeiro and Sao
Paulo. A total of nine HD channels are available
initially. To receive the free-to-air HD channels,
subscribers must request a terrestrial module,
which is coupled to high-definition decoder, as is the
case with Sky HDTV. According to Antonio Joao,
executive director of Via Embratel, the HD decoder
produced by Pace will undergo constant updates.
NET CLAIMS LEADERSHIP
POSITION IN HD SEGMENT
According to the president of Net Servicos, the
Brazilian triple-play operator is the absolute leader
in the high definition segment, increasingly moving
away from second placed Sky Brasil. Speaking
during a conference call with journalists, he did not
want to mention the number of subscribers, saying
only that in June the growth in HD was 44 percent
higher than expected for the month. The manager
is betting that the growth follows the sales of HD TV
sets and that the acceleration of sales of subscriptions
is maintained even after the World Cup.
CHILE
MOVISTAR LAUNCHES HD PACKAGE
Spanish operator Movistar (Telefonica group) has
launched a package of 9 HD channels via satellite,
which will thus be added to the packages that this
operator already offers in this South American country.
The Movistar TV HD Plus service is sold from
€10 per month (depending on the chosen receiver)
and can be received through two terminals: one
simple and one with integrated internal hard drive.
A S I A & P A C I F I C
WORLD CUP BOOSTS HDTV SET SALES
According to market research firm GfK Asia, in
the first week of June alone, combined sales of
HDTVs in eight Asian markets — Malaysia, Hong
Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, South
Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam reached almost
90.000 units, hitting a total value in excess of
RM 235.4million (US$74 million). GfK Asia said
this reflected a massive 250% growth in units
sold compared with the same period last year.
INDIA
OPERATORS LAUNCH HDTV PRICE WAR
ONLY TWO CHANNELS
AVAILABLE IN HD IN INDIA
A price war took place in the DTH segment during
the World Cup in South Africa, with broadcasters
that air HD content slashing rates by 50%. Tata Sky
launched HD services at Rs 2,599, forcing market
leader Dish TV to cut prices by more than 50%
within days of launch. The competition has intensified
as rivals such as Videocon and Airtel launching
similar services. Currently, only a dozen or so
channels such as Discovery, National Geographic,
Colors, Zee TV, Star Plus, Star Movies and Sun TV
are available in HD, while another 12 or so channels
are expected to be added in the coming months.
JAPAN
JAPANESE HAVE NO PLANS TO
ACQUIRE 3DTV GLASSES
Almost 70% of Japanese consumers have said
they have no plans to buy a 3D TV for their
home. Respondents said they were turned off
by the special viewing glasses and also blamed
steep price tags and scarcity of available content
for their lack of interest, the survey by the
price comparison website operator Kakaku.com
showed. Of those who have no plans to buy a 3D
TV, nearly 70% cited the hassle of wearing special