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Sat-UK #94: DF1/HOTBIRD - 27.08.97

Report from the Sat-UK mailing list:
Report #94
- DF1 DOOM
- HOTBIRD 3
august 27th 1997
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The following may not be reproduced without written consent. Information
is subject to change and/or may be incorrect.
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Email: dominic@bigrp.demon.co.uk . Homepage:
http://www.sat-net.com/sat-uk/
And now the news:


---------- DF1 DOOM
DF1, the German digital pay-TV package run and owned by Leo Kirch, will
apparently close later this year. The subscription service continued to
flail and simply could not acquire enough subscribers, barely rising
above the 200,000 mark.
Instead, DF1 will pursue the opportunity to combine forces with
Germany's only other subscription service, Premiere, which has
surprisingly managed to survive in a market where most good television
is completely free. Premiere currently also runs a digital service on
Astra 1E, and has recently changed encryption method from mediaguard to
the irdeto CAM, which is used by DF1 and the Italian and Nordic/Benelux
packages, thus enabling current DF1 subscribers to view the package.
It is not yet known to whom the DF1 transponders will be leased, if not
Premiere/DF1 itself. Current DF1 subscribers will probably be given the
chance to carry on their subscription but under Premiere. It appears
that Germany is just not yet ready for digital pay-TV.

---------- HOTBIRD 3
(part souce: Eutelsat, SATCO DX)
Eutelsat HotBird 3, the latest satellite in the 13 degrees est fleet,
will launch on September 2, if all goes to plan. The launch can be
viewed by anyone with C-band capacity - it will be broadcast live on
Telecom 2B on 3,767 R. American viewers can catch it on Galaxy 9 on
4,140 H.
HotBird 3 will carry both analogue and digital channels in a very
similar method to HotBird 2. Currently slated for use with HotBird 3 are
ERT, the Greek satellite entertainment channel(s), TV Polonia, and a
Swiss digital package. No English language channels are currently
planned, but this may very well change, as rumours indicate that the
BBC, who already broadcast BBC World and BBC Prime (in digital) from
this position, may desire to lease a transponder or two - I can't
confirm this.


All contents (C) 1997 Dominic Sedghi. All rights reserved.
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