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

SES ASTRA Signs Agreements With ARD and ZDF For More Capacity
Aug 2, 2007 – SES ASTRA, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), has signed two long term agreements with ARD and ZDF to provide additional transponder capacity to the German public broadcasters.
News categories: SES ASTRA, ARD, ZDF, Digital TV, Germany, Satellite

AUSTAR delivers record subscribers and profits
Aug 2, 2007 – The Company continues to experience strong subscriber growth, ending the first half of 2007 with a total of 639,128 subscribers. Total television subscribers increased by 38,002 for the half, whilst the second quarter delivered 19,768 subscribers.
News categories: AUSTAR, Earnings Release, Australia, Digital TV, Results, Satellite, Subscribers

Portugal - TVTEL launches DTH satellite TV
Aug 1, 2007 – The commercial phase of the TVTEL DTH satellite television service has begun, after completion of a testing phase which started in May.
News categories: Digital TV, Portugal, Satellite

GCT Semiconductor commercializes S-DMB and T-DMB single-chip
Jul 31, 2007 – GCT Semiconductor has announced the commercialization of its first monolithic single chip, GDM7003, capable of receiving media broadcast from both S-DMB and T-DMB. A major Korean handset maker recently began production with the GDM7003.
News categories: GCT Semiconductor, Digital TV, ICs, Korea, Mobile, Satellite, Semiconductor, Terrestrial

Maxim Satellite Tuner for DVB-S and Free-to-Air Eliminates External LNA
Jul 31, 2007 – Maxim Integrated Products (NASDAQ: MXIM) introduces the MAX2120 low-cost, zero-IF, direct-conversion tuner for satellite TV. This tuner receives QPSK signals in the 925MHz to 2150MHz range and downconverts them to baseband for demodulation.
News categories: Digital TV, ICs, Satellite, Semiconductor, Set Top Box

British Sky Broadcasting - Offer for Amstrad PLC
Jul 31, 2007 – The Boards of Sky and Amstrad are pleased to announce that they have agreed the terms of a recommended cash offer to be made by Sky Digital Supplies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sky, for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Amstrad.
News categories: Digital TV, MandA, Satellite, Set Top Box, UK

Telefónica Quarterly Results January - June 2007
Jul 30, 2007 – In Spain, net additions in the second quarter were 32,307 customers - Telefónica España ended June with 450,925 pay TV subscribers. Telefónica Latinoamérica manages 800,000 clients (+55.2% year on year) with operations in Peru, Chile and Colombia.
News categories: O2, Telefónica, Broadband, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Digital TV, IPTV, Peru, Results, Satellite, Spain, Subscribers

Eastern Europe promises digital delight
Jul 30, 2007 – A new research report from Informa Telecoms & Media, has found that central and eastern Europe is making great strides in the upgrade to digital TV. The report has found that the eight million digital homes at present will grow to 34.8 million by 2012.
News categories: Bulgaria, Cable TV, Croatia, Czech Republic, Digital TV, Estonia, Hungary, IPTV, Latvia, Lithuania, Market Research, Poland, Romania, Russia, Satellite, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

Taiwanese Satellite STB Shipments to Reach 5.6 Million in 2007
Jul 27, 2007 – According to MIC, Taiwanese digital satellite set-top box shipment volume is expected to reach 3.2 million units in the second half of 2007. In the full-year, volume is expected to amount to 5.6 million units, up 20% in comparison with 2006.
News categories: Conditional Access, Digital TV, DVR, Market Research, Satellite, Set Top Box, Taiwan