La Opinión del Experto + - TELE-satellite International Magazine

BRITISH TELECOM TO PROVIDE HD CONTENT
BT is to offer High Definition (HD) content to users of its V-box Personal
Video Recorder using their IPTV (basically TV over broadband)
‘Vision’ service. BT Vision is a digital TV service that offers
DTT, a DVR (their V-Box), and supports TV and video content that’s
accessed on-demand over a BT Broadband connection. BT has
announced an agreement with NBC Universal to include a selection
of feature films in High Definition (1080i) format from the NBC Universal
catalogue. Current films will cost £4.95 while older library titles
will sell for £2.95. Films will have a 48 hour time limit for viewing.
ORANGE TO OFFER ON DEMAND MOVIES ON IPTV SERVICE
Orange is likely to build its IPTV service around on-demand films
when it eventually launches a home TV service to take on Sky, Virgin,
Freeview and BT Vision, late this year or the early part of next year.
Nationwide trials for the TV service have been running in earnest,
with trialists using the on-demand film service only in Leeds.
SKY ADDS NEW CHANNELS
Seven new HD channels will launch on the Sky+ HD service in October
2008, including six genre-themed Sky Movies channels in HD
and a new HD version of Sky Real Lives. The addition of the new
channels in October will increase the total number of HD channels
on the Sky platform to 26, compared with nine channels when Sky+
HD made its debut in May 2006. The number of hours of native high
definition content on the Sky platform will increase to around 10,000
per month, more than 2.5 times the amount of standard definition
content offered by the five main terrestrial channels combined.
N O R T H A M E R I C A
GALAXY 19 LAUNCHES SUCCESSFULLY
Intelsat’s Galaxy 19 satellite was successfully launched on September
24 aboard a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket. The satellite,
built by Space Systems/Loral, will operate from 97 West, replacing
the Galaxy 25 spacecraft. Galaxy 19 will provide 50-state
coverage, in addition to reaching the Caribbean, Canada and
Mexico, to video, government and network customers.
CANADA
MTS ALLSTREAM TO USE ETI OSS
MTS Allstream will use ETI’s Triad OSS to integrate Microsoft’s
Mediaroom IP video technology to their CRM and billing infrastructure.
Triad completely automates the provisioning of IPTV services
to MTS Allstream’s expanding subscriber base. Operating under the
MTS brand in the province of Manitoba, the division offers consumers
next generation wireless, high-speed Internet and data, digital television
and wireline voice services, as well as home security services.
NIMIQ 4 SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED
Telesat, which is 64 percent owned by Loral and the world’s fourth largest
fixed satellite services operator, has successfully launched its state-ofthe-art
Nimiq 4 satellite. Nimiq 4 is fully leased to Bell TV, and will enable
Bell TV to expand its advanced digital satellite television services over
Canada by offering more HDTV, specialty channels and foreign-language
programming. The satellite will be located at 82 degrees West.
UNITED STATES
HOTWIRE SELECTS MOTOROLA FTTH SOLUTION
Hotwire Communications is using Motorola’s gigabit passive optical
networking fibre to the home solution, MPEG-4 high-definition encoder
and IP set-top box offerings to support IPTV and other services. Hotwire,
which focuses on delivering fibre-based broadband to multi-family communities
and home developments, student dormitories and military housing,
serves customers in parts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
AT&T IPTV ARRIVES TO MICHIGAN AND ARKANSAS
AT&T Inc. has launched the company’s integrated suite of AT&T Uverse(SM)
services, including AT&T U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse High
Speed Internet and AT&T U-verse Voice in Michigan and Central Arkansas.
AT&T is the only national service provider to offer a 100 percent
IPTV service which includes more than 45 High Definition channels.
HILL COUNTRY SELECTS INFINITE VIDEO IPTV PLATFORM
Texas-based Hill Country Telephone Cooperative has selected an
IPTV platform from Infinite Video, a subsidiary of Canadian firm Even