[opendtv] News: BSkyB advances HDTV launch

  • From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 06:09:34 -0500

http://www.advanced-television.com/2005/news_archive_2005/Feb28_March4.htm

BSkyB advances HDTV launch

British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) has appointed Thomson as the initial 
manufacturer of the set-top box for its forthcoming High Definition 
Television (HDTV) service and confirmed that it is on track to launch 
in 2006. Speaking at the DVB World conference in Dublin, BSkyB's 
Chief Operating Officer, Richard Freudenstein, revealed that Sky's 
HDTV box would feature a similar Personal Video Recorder capability 
to the existing Sky+ box.

Freudenstein said that offering PVR capability as a standard in the 
HDTV arena will ensure that Sky+'s 6000,000 subscribers would 
continue to enjoy control and flexibility in association with the 
highest-quality programming.

Freudenstein added that the step change in picture quality would help 
BSkyB to achieve its target of 10 million customers in 2010. 
"Innovation and technology leadership are at the core of the Sky 
brand," he said. "By introducing HDTV, our ambition is to raise the 
bar again. We want to re-affirm that the digital satellite platform 
is the home of the highest-quality viewing experience available."

Sky's HDTV channel line-up will include a combination of sports, 
movies, entertainment and documentary programming, and will support 
both 720p and 1080i picture formats. Broadcasters will be able to 
choose the format which is most appropriate to their individual 
requirements. Sky's HDTV broadcasts will use MPEG-4 advanced 
compression coding.

BSkyB expects that sales of 'HD Ready' TV sets will accelerate as 
equipment prices continue to fall and the availability of HDTV 
programming grows. Although BSkyB's HDTV box can be connected to any 
kind of TV set, customers will require an 'HD Ready' TV set with a 
flat-screen display of 26 inches or more to enjoy the full benefits 
of HDTV picture quality. BSkyB estimates that almost two million 'HD 
Ready' sets will have been sold in the UK by the end of 2006. Back to 
top

 
 
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