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Channels using the HD+
standard are currently only
of interest to a Germanspeaking
audience, as HD+
smartcards to unlock these
channels are only available in
Germany at this stage. The
Jaeger HD+ 2010 therefore
exclusively has the German
market in mind for time being.
HD+ channels are broadcast
via ASTRA 19.2° East.
We will deal with every
nook and cranny of the new
receiver in a moment, but let
us first find out what this talk
about HD+ really is all about:
In a global perspective, Germany
had long been a dark
spot on the HDTV map. While
most of Asia, North America,
Australia and also a number
of European countries had
introduced high-definition television
some time ago, Germany
seemed to be perfectly
content with its SDTV offering
for a very long time. Apart
from pay TV provider Sky
and an unsuccessful attempt
at HDTV by some commercial
channels not much happened
with regard to HD content.
Is there a particular reason
for this development, or
should we rather say: lack of
development? For decades,
German viewers have been
blessed with a large number
of free-to-air commercial
channels, which offered all
sorts of content next to the
large public broadcasting
networks, which can also be
received free-to-air. Viewers
have come to expect and
demand high-quality programming,
including all the
latest blockbuster movies,
TV dramas and sitcoms, plus
elaborate homemade content
free of charge. Or almost free
of charge, if you consider the
licence fee that every Germany
household with a TV
set has to pay. Various and
– sometimes – lengthy advertising
breaks on commercial
stations are the trade-in,
which Germans had and have
to accept in return for channel
and content variety.
For all the reasons stated
above pay TV was off to a very
bad start in Germany and
is still struggling to become
financially viable. Just think
about it: Would you be willing
to pay for subscription TV if
the sheer number of channels
coming in at no cost satisfies
almost all of your viewing
requirements?
Up until the invention of
the PVR (personal video
recorder), both broadcasters
and viewers seemed content
with this arrangement, and
commercial stations were
able to provide decent programming
thanks to a steady
flow of advertising revenue.
All this began to slowly
erode due to time-shift viewing
and hard-disk recording,
with the added benefit of skipping
commercial breaks. What
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www.TELE-satellite.com — 12-01/2011 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
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