by Jason Bates

The opening general session of SATELLITE 2010 will look a little different this year — and it has nothing to do with the change in location.

FSS consolidation has reduced the number of panelists for “The Big Four: Agenda for the Coming Decade,” and now a change in leadership at Eutelsat Communications also brings a slightly different perspective to the issues at hand. New Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen joins fellow CEOs Romain Bausch of SES, Dan Goldberg of Telesat and David McGlade of Intelsat on stage to address some of the same concerns facing the satellite sector that have existed for years, such as how to satisfy capacity demands, as well as to address other issues that may be facing the FSS players and the communications sector as a whole in the next several years.

One of the highlights of the day should be an afternoon panel that will look at “3-D TV: Long-term Play or Fad?” that will be hosted by Via Satellite Associate Editor Mark Holmes. 3-D TV has become the next big revenue-generating niche for the broadcasting industry, driven in part by the success of 3-D movies and heavy promotion of new 3-D initiatives by industry heavyweights such as ESPN. This panel will bring together ESPN, Discovery Communications and representatives from the satellite bandwidth providers and technology developers to discuss the revenue-generating potential of 3-D and its future in the broadcasting world.

Another panel that addresses a pressing need of the broadcasting sector is “MPEG-4 versus MPEG-2: Choosing the Standard that’s Right for You.” This gathering of experts that includes CBS and HBO will look at the compression choices facing broadcasters, as they weigh their options while considering factors such as the costs of upgrading their delivery networks and the advantages and disadvantages of keeping your current MPEG-2 system operating.

The opening day of SATELLITE 2010 should provide plenty of discussion on the future of the satellite broadcasting sector that will carry throughout the show and beyond.

On Tuesday, Via Satellite editors and columnists will be conducting interviews and providing commentaries on the latest in the satellite sector. Please visit us on the show floor Booth 553 to check out the event.