[Satellite Today – 1-25-08] NSR believes strong demands for capacity from the video market will be the main growth driver for satellite operators over the next few years
    NSR projects that worldwide carriage of new standard-definition and high-definition channels for all categories of television services will account for between 75 percent and 85 percent of C- and Ku-band transponder demand growth in most regions around the world, according to the “Global Assessment of Satellite Demand (4th Edition),” released Jan. 24.
    About 1,750 additional standard-definition channels and another 150 high-definition channels will be placed on commercial C- and Ku-band satellite payloads every year for the six-year period between 2006 and 2012, according to the study. Direct-to-home services alone will contribute nearly 4,000 standard-definition channels and nearly 500 high-definition channels by 2012.