Satellite News

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According to a report from Screen Digest the Blu-ray market is suffering from a shortage of replication factories. European consumers bought a total of 37.8m Blu-ray (BD) discs last year. This includes both straightforward video titles and games (for PS3 players). However, when you include the number of movies (and extra video content) that needed an extra disc the number of actual discs is significantly more.

Screen Digest reckons that this year a total of some 85.7m actual discs will be needed, helped along by rising BD hardware sales. By 2010 demand will top 150m total discs, touching 250m by 2011 and topping 300m during 2012.

There is also a material shift taking place in what consumers are buying. Last year, says the report, games accounted for 72% of consumer transactions. The volume of games discs will increase this year some 35%, but the percentage of games vs videos sold will fall to 43%.

There’s another shift happening. Traditionally most games are created on single layer 25GB discs. Screen Digest says its research shows that most videos are being released on the larger BD50 discs.

And there’s not enough factory replication about to handle this year’s anticipated volumes. In Europe alone the pattern during 2008 was such “that the BD replication lines operational by the first quarter of 2009 could, if running all year at maximum capacity, have been sufficient to meet these manufacturing requirements with no additional investment.”

But this is not the whole story. BD demand is highly seasonal which means that some 30% of pressing lines are largely redundant through much of the year. Last year 25% of European BD sales occurred during the first half of the year, with 60% happening in the pre-Christmas quarter. This pattern will happen again in 2009, suggests the study.

Therefore, despite Europe’s current 59 production lines for BD, Screen Digest says another “minimum” 18 further production lines will be needed to be made operational in readiness for this second half/2009, in order to handle the Q4 seasonal demand.

© Rapid TV News 2009

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Two major investors in Irish-based pay-TV sports broadcaster Setanta have written off the value of their investment stakes in the broadcaster. Doughty Hanson, which owns about 20% of Setanta and investment bankers Goldman Sachs (5% stake) have reportedly written down their stakes to zero valuations.

Setanta is said to be reviewing its business strategy following the English (soccer) Premiership awarding 5 out of a possible 6 bundles of TV soccer rights to BSkyB, leaving Setanta with just 50% of the already meagre cluster of matches it currently transmits. The new rights package kicks in with the 2010-11 season.

London newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Setanta is reviewing its assets and options, which include possibly reducing its existing coverage of boxing and rugby.

While the two investors might only be making prudent accounting provision for their Setanta valuations, it does not mean that Setanta has zero value. However, raising more cash to acquire other rights might now be even more difficult with positive sentiment ebbing away.

© Rapid TV News 2009

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Eutelsat is ordering a new satellite, dubbed W3C, to replace the W2M craft lost after in-orbit problems occurred in January. The new satellite will come from Thales Alenia Space, and should be launched in Q3/2011.

The decision to build a replacement also has Eutelsat having to change some of the upcoming missions and locations. The original plan for W2M was for it to replace well in advance Eutelsat's W2 satellite. As a result of this January problem, Eutelsat decided that the W3B satellite, which is already one year into construction, will replace W2 from the middle of 2010, raising available capacity at 16 deg East to 56 transponders from its current manifest of 27 transponders.

W3B, says Eutelsat, had the dual mission of accompanying the expansion and in-orbit redundancy of Eutelsat's 7 degrees East position and to ensuring a solution for continuity of service in the event of the loss of W2M, W2A or W7. The W3C satellite will now assume this double mission of boosting by more than 50% available capacity at 7 degrees East, or ensuring - if required - Ku-band continuity of service for future satellites, namely W2A, W7 or W3B.

Scheduled for launch in third quarter 2011 and equipped with 56 transponders, W3C will be based on the Spacebus 4000 platform of Thales Alenia Space. Its co-positioning with Eutelsat's W3A satellite will expand capacity at 7 degrees East from 44 to 70 transponders. The co-positioning of both satellites underscores Eutelsat's objective to transform 7 degrees East into a flagship position, repeating the multi-satellite strategy pursued at 13 degrees East which has enabled the Hot Bird satellites to develop into the leading neighbourhood worldwide for the number of channels broadcast.

With optimised coverage of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and central Asia, the W3A satellite at 7 degrees East already broadcasts close to 200 television channels and carries professional video and data services. The additional resources will enable Eutelsat to support expanding business of existing customers, notably broadcasters now launching their first HDTV channels.

© Rapid TV News 2009

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Paramount listed the show as Episode 28, and the show was first aired on April 6 1967. But there was something special about Star Trek’s “The City on the Edge of Forever” that clicked with the public and critics. Written by Harlan Ellison, he is now suing CBS Paramount TV for 25% of the net receipts from merchandising, publishing and other income from the show. What made the episode so important?

The show has Captain Kirk and his pals interfering with the time-space continuum, and ‘leaping’ back to New York during the 1930’s Great Depression. The episode also featured Joan Collins who played a Salvation Army-type helper at the 21st Street Mission.

Ellison’s action alleges that Paramount has “earned millions” exploiting the show since it was first shown, and that “Paramount has not accounted to Ellison or paid him for such exploitations as it is required to do under the 1960 minimum basic agreement and 1966 Amendment." Speaking to a trade magazine, Ellison said “I'm doing it for the 35-year-long disrespect and the money!"

Some other fascinating facts about “Edge of Forever”: It won instant critical acclaim, getting onto TV Guide’s 100 greatest TV episodes of all time. Ellison’s original script (although altered by the time the show went into production) won the WGA’s best dramatic 1-hour script of the season. William Shatner said it was his favourite Trek episode. The show was produced for $250,000, compared with the usual $185,000 per episode.

© Rapid TV News 2009

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Conax is having a good year, especially in India where it is claiming 68% growth over the past year. Conax, owned by Telenor of Norway, says it is now the World’s third-largest supplier to the global content security market. Conax made the statement ahead of its exhibit at the Convergence India show, which opens today (March 18-20) in New Delhi.

In India, Conax says it is “trusted by major operators such as Dish TV, WWIL and Digicable, and is also successfully working with various other cable operators and content providers. Showing growth of 68% last year, Conax continues to strengthen its market position.”

Conax’ core offering, Conax CAS7, provides operators with highly secure content protection built on Conax’ 15 years of security experience and strong anti-piracy record. Conax security solutions are non-proprietary and based on an open licensing policy for set-top box (STB) manufacturers.

“Conax’ pioneering strategy has been an important factor for our success and growth in the region. A key element is Conax’ strategy and ongoing policy for development of non-discriminatory, non-royalty relationships with 100’s of STB vendors. In fact, the Conax strategy has encouraged STB providers to offer operators a rich selection of quality consumer devices and competitive pricing alternatives for all market segments,” said Geir Bjørndal, EVP Sales & Marketing, Conax.

“In today’s competitive digital TV market, digital broadcasting operators and content providers are looking to specialist solutions, like Conax, to secure their platforms and premium content. What makes Conax unique is that Conax focuses on content protection only, providing all other services through a strategic network of best in class partners,” confirmed Bjørndal.

© Rapid TV News 2009

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One of the most anticipated high definition TV channels in Portugal is AXN HD which will launch on pay TV operators ZON TV Cabo and Meo from April 6.

AXN HD will occupy ZON channel 61 and will be offered to ZON BOX cable subscribers taking the Clássico and Funtastic packages. It will also be part of the satellite offering from the operator, in the packages MAX TVCine, MAX and Total.

Meo will also integrate AXN HD into its satellite and IPTV offerings, while also inaugurating AXN's standard-definition version in Meo Satélite’s basic package.

Aside from AXN HD, ZON TV Cabo announced the arrival of four more new channels to its offering from April 6.

New HD channel, Brava HDTV, will offer opera, dance and concerts as a premium channel for €4.99 per month. The channel will be offered to subscribers in the Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and Margem Sul do Tejo areas.

Also from April 6 the clients of the satellite TV operator subscribing to the packages Max TVCine, Max, Total and Base and those to the cableoperators with the Clássico package with digital boxes and those with the Funtastic package will start receiving Sony Entertainment Television.

Other ZON news is the addition of children’s channel Animax which will be distributed in the Funtastic package on the Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, and Margem Sul do Tejo's networks; and last but not least the addition of the English-language Russian channel Russia Today in the Clássico and Funtastic packages for subscribers also on the above networks.

© Rapid TV News 2009

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Competition is ramping up in the French IPTV market, with two operators offering free access to Canal+ premium channels for short promotional periods.

IPTV penetration in France is world-leading, with some 5.6 million IPTV subscribers by October 2008. There are three major operators, Iliad’s Free, Neuf Cegetel and France Télécom’s Orange TV, the first two of whom plan the free Canal+ bouquet.

For two weeks, ending March 23, Free is letting all subscribers view the Canal+ bouquet of Canal+, Canal+ Sport, Canal+ Cinéma, Canal+ Décalé and Cinal+ family. From March 23 to April 2, Neuf Cegetel is mounting a similar offer.
© Rapid TV News 2009