Satellite Television (DBS, DTH, DSat, DVB-S, DVB-S2) News

DISH makes Hopper 3 available across the USA
Feb 1, 2016 – DISH Network has announced the availability of its Hopper 3 to customers across the USA. The third-generation of DISH’s whole-home DVR system, Hopper 3 features 16 tuners, delivers an enhanced 4K experience and supports up to seven TVs simultaneously.
News categories: DISH Network, Vivek Khemka, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart Home, USA

EUTELSAT 9B satellite successfully launched
Jan 30, 2016 – The EUTELSAT 9B satellite has been successfully launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit. EUTELSAT 9B will be positioned at 9°E to assume broadcasting of TV channels currently served by EUTELSAT 9A and to provide expansion capacity.
News categories: Eutelsat, Michel de Rosen, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Europe, Satellite

Sky releases 4Q 2015 results
Jan 29, 2016 – Sky has released unaudited results for the six months ended 31 December 2015. In the UK and Ireland the company added 146,000 TV customers in the quarter. Sky added 120,000 customers in Germany and Austria, and 12,000 in Italy.
News categories: Sky plc, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Results, Satellite, Set Top Box, Streaming, UK

Sky Q goes on sale in February
Jan 29, 2016 – Sky has announced that Sky Q will go on sale in February. The Sky Q products connect wirelessly to create an ecosystem that makes TV viewing seamless – called Fluid Viewing. Fluid Viewing allows a user to pause a show in one room and pick up the action on another TV or tablet in the home.
News categories: Sky, Stephen van Rooyen, Apps, Digital TV, Mobile, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart Home, UK

HD+ subscribers up 11.3% in 2015
Jan 29, 2016 – SES (Paris; Luxembourg: SESG) has announced that its German HD platform HD+ recorded an 11.3 percent increase in subscribers in 2015. HD+ had 1.84 million subscribers at year-end 2015, compared to 1.65 million at year-end 2014.
News categories: SES S.A, SES S.A, Wilfried Urner, Digital TV, Germany, Satellite, Set Top Box, Subscribers

Airtel Digital TV adds 530,000 subscribers in 4Q 2015
Jan 28, 2016 – Bharti Airtel has announced results for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. As on December 31, 2015, the Company had 11.1 million customers, which represents an increase of 13.2% in comparison with the corresponding quarter last year.
News categories: Bharti Airtel, India, Results, Satellite, Subscribers

Videocon d2h adds 0.43 million net subscribers in 4Q 2015
Jan 28, 2016 – Videocon d2h (NASDAQ: VDTH) has announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2015. The Company added 0.67 million gross subscribers and 0.43 million net subscribers during the quarter.
News categories: Videocon d2h, Anil Khera, India, Results, Satellite, Subscribers

FCC proposes to unlock the set-top box
Jan 27, 2016 – The FCC has announced that it is circulating for a vote a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would tear down anti-competitive barriers and pave the way for software, devices and other innovative solutions to compete with the set-top boxes that a majority of consumers must lease today.
News categories: FCC, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Regulation, Satellite, Set Top Box, USA

Kazakhstan's Caspio HD selects Irdeto security
Jan 27, 2016 – Irdeto has announced that it will be providing security solutions and services to Caspio HD, a new private DTH satellite operator in Kazakhstan. Irdeto Cloaked CA provides Caspio HD with a highly secure and cost-effective solution for the launch of its service.
News categories: Irdeto, Caspio HD, Andrey Silanchev, Talgat Shakenov, Content Protection, CSTB, Digital TV, Kazakhstan, Satellite