Focus: Broadcasting

This is the last installment in our review of key “demand triggers” for IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) takeup. Since IPTV is widely touted as the principal driver of fixed satellite service and direct-to-home satellite growth in the near future, understanding what services will make subscribers buy IPTV, the obstacles to that goal and the business...

[11-01-07 – Satellite Today] PlanetSky Ltd. signed an agreement with ProtoStar Ltd. for C-band capacity on ProtoStar’s first satellite, ProtoStar announced Nov. 1.     The agreement provides PlanetSky with five transponders for its global satellite systems that support GPRS and GSM broadband services, wireless, Voice Over Internet Protocol, broadcasting and radio transmissions. The agreement allows...

[10-31-07 – Satellite Today] SES Astra signed a contract to broadcast Czech music channel Ocko from Astra’s orbital position 23.5° East, Astra announced Oct. 31.     The channel, based in Prague, began transmission Oct. 30, and the current free-to-air transmission from Astra’s orbital slot 19.2° East will end Feb. 28. “With the switch to 23.5°...

[10-30-07 – Satellite Today] Tandberg Television is providing a combination of compression products and managed services to NBC Universal for the launch of new high definition (HD) channels, Tandberg announced Oct. 29.     Tandberg is supplying its DVB-S2 8PSK modulators to distribute programming to service providers. The modulation standard is designed to increase the throughput...

[10-29-07 – Satellite Today]  BTV+ has commissioned new satellite uplink equipment to provide high-definition (HD) and standard-definition broadcasting to the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America, the company announced Oct. 29.     The uplink encompasses a redundant fly-away package which includes HDTV encoders modulator/encapsulators for remote use by any satellite newsgathering uplink...

[10-26-07 – Satellite Today] Sogecable, which owns the Digital+ Direct-To-Home (DTH) platform in Spain, has secured new capacity with SES Astra as it looks to boost its High Definition (HD) offerings to customers. The deal between SES Astra and Sogecable, announced Oct. 26, sees Sogecable take an additional transponder with SES Astra. The transponder located...

[10-26-07 – Satellite Today] Measat Satellite Systems, the Asian satellite operator, said Oct. 24 that it had signed a deal with StarHub Cable Vision (StarHub) for the delivery of the Golf Channel to Singapore. StarHub’s Golf Channel is a 24-hour channel featuring tournaments played around the world. With 70 percent of the content made up...

[10-25-07 – Satellite News] Over the last couple of weeks, two major research organizations, IMS Research and ABI Research have released detailed market reports on the set-top box arena. ABI Research’s report, ‘Global Set-Top Box Markets’looked at the industry more generally, whereas IMS Research issued a report ‘Hybrid Set-Top Box Developments and the Impact of...

[10-25-07 – Satellite Today] XM Satellite Radio broke the 8.5 million subscriber mark, but posted a 72 percent higher net loss figure in the third quarter of 2007, the company announced Oct. 25. XM’s net loss for the third quarter ending Sept. 30 was $145 million, up from an $84 million net loss in the...

[10-24-07 – Satellite Today] GlobeCast has partnered with BBC Worldwide, Globecast announced Oct. 23. BBC will use GlobeCast services to expand its Global Channels business to Asia and Poland, distributing four new entertainment channels to India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Poland using the Telstar 10 and Hot Bird satellites. BBC Knowledge, BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyles...