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Sat-UK-News #217 18.03.98: BBC Digital, AstraVision

Sat-UK-News Report #217:
- BBC Digital gone; more info
- AstraVision in digital; Reception reports
wednesday 18th march 1998
=======================================================================
Email: dsedghi@TELE-Satellite.com OR dominic@bigrp.demon.co.uk
Sat-UK-Web: http://www.sat-uk.com/
UK Satellite Control: http://www.sat-net.com/uk-satellite/
And now the news:


---------- BBC Digital gone; more info
 According to my dish and digi-receiver, which are admittedly NOT very
accurate, the BBC Digital package is no longer transmitting on Astra 1D.
It's probably safe to say that it was a just a test phase. The
transponder they were using, "transponder 5", has actually been assigned
to Flextech Digital, so seeing BBC there was a surprise.
 Now here's the surprising bit. BBC Digital will be encrypted. According
to an official letter from the BBC, the digital package will be
broadcast using the Videoguard CA and will require a card. This is due
to reasons concerning rights to series and films. In order to view BBC
Digital, you will need a Videoguard receiver and a Sky or BBC digital
card; no Videoguard CAMs are as of yet on the market, and none have been
planned yet (although they will probably soon appear). The package will
probably be in the clear for the first few months up until autumn.
 On a happier note, BBC Digital Terrestrial will be in the clear. They
will use a new digital set-top box which incorporates the SECA CA,
although the channels themselves will be unencrypted. This box will have
to be made so as to fitted to a digital satellites receiver should the
need arise.

---------- AstraVision in digital; Reception reports
 AstraVision is at this very moment broadcasting in digital on 11.817 V
on Astra 1D. It's the same new promotional with just English audio,
unsurprisingly. Here's a reception report:

Barcelona, 45cm dish, Pace MSS200, Nokia 9200
Astra 1D "better than excellent"; HB4 is "good" too.
Digital transmissions from the BBC without break-ups.
(Jordi Puig)


All contents (C) 1998 Dominic Sedghi, except where indicated. All
rights reserved. Contents may be reproduced providing the following
is included: "Provided by Sat-UK - www.sat-uk.com/".
Information is subject to change and/or may be incorrect.

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