Avis de l'Expert + - TELE-satellite International Magazine

y Netris, and initially offers 60 broadcast TV channels, with further
plans to up the number of channels to 90 and launch a VOD service.
UNITED KINGDOM
BBC AND NHK WORKING ON HD SUCCESSOR
The BBC and Japanese public broadcaster NHK are working on new
format which promises to deliver pictures in a quality 33 times better
than the best HD sets on the market. Super Hi-Vision is currently being
tested by NHK, but the BBC is planning to use the technology to screen
the 2012 Olympics on big screens in city centres across the UK.
OFCOM PLANS TO RAISE BILLIONS FROM HDTV AUCTION
Television regulator Ofcom is hoping to raise billions from an auction of
high definition TV spectrum. Three HDTV channels will be launched in
2009 and a fourth in 2012, the regulator said. One slot will be reserved
for the BBC, which already broadcasts its BBC HD channel via satellite
and cable. The other three will be awarded after an auction open
to ITV, Channel 4, Five and Welsh language broadcaster S4C.
FRANCE TELECOM PREPARES IPTV LAUNCH
France Telecom has confirmed it will soon launch its triple play
service in the U.K., via the Orange brand. In order to avoid limiting
the appeal of the service and alienating any of its existing 1.4
million DSL customers, Orange UK is calling its service Digital TV,
and will not use the term IPTV externally. The service has been trialled
since November 2007 in London and the northern city of Leeds
with 350 existing, paying Orange UK broadband customers.
N O R T H A M E R I C A
CANADA
SOGETEL TO OFFER IPTV
Occam Networks has announced that Canadian independent telco
Sogetel has purchased Occam’s Broadband Loop Carrier (BLC) 6000
solution to complete a “significant” network upgrade with the intention
of offering IPTV and VoIP services. Quebec-based Sogetel is deploying
Occam equipment at more than 35 sites across Sogetel’s service area.
The telco is using ADSL2+ to provide IPTV over the last mile copper line.
UNITED STATES
AMC-14 SATELLITE FAILS
Dish Network’s new satellite designed to expand its High-Definition
programming capacity failed in mid-March. The AMC-14 satellite, which
Dish was leasing from SES Americom, had lifted off successfully, but
an “anomaly” occurred during the second burn of the Breeze M upper
stage. The satellite then failed to reach its planned orbit. Once operational,
the satellite was expected to enable Dish to begin adding HD
channels, increasing its current total to roughly 70 to 100 by year’s end.
TIME WARNER CABLE TO CARRY 100 HDTV CHANNELS
Time Warner Cable of New York and New Jersey is poised to carry 100
HD channels and add more than 250 HD On Demand choices by the
end of 2008 across the company’s service area, starting with a total
of 50 on April 30. Over the next year in an area-by-area rollout, Time
Warner Cable of NY/NJ will launch “Enhanced HDTV” which includes
the cable-exclusive Start Over service. It allows customers to start a
program over during its allotted time slot without the need for a DVR.
DIRECTV 11 SATELLITE LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY
DirecTV’s new HDTV satellite was successfully launched on March
19 by a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket. Once operational in September,
DirecTV 11, will enable the satellite broadcaster to offer up to 150
national HD channels, compared to the current 90. DirecTV also plans
to deliver local HD channels to more than 100 markets, representing
84% of U.S. TV households. It plans to launch yet another satellite in
2009 that will enable it to provide up to 200 national HD channels.
C A R I B B E AN
TELBO SELECTS AMINO STB FOR IPTV SERVICE
Telefonia Bonairiano (Telbo), a telecommunications company in the Dutch
Caribbean region, has selected the AmiNET125 multi-codec set-top-box
from Amino for its IPTV service, jointly developed by. Telbo, Savant Communications
and Manycast Consultancy. The mitv service, which is a part
of Telbo’s triple-play offering, will air around 40 channels including HBO,
Discovery and FOX. The Dutch Public Channels, Nederland 1, 2 and 3, will
be inserted into the head end via optical submarine cables. By deploying