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

Successful launch of EUTELSAT 5 West B
Oct 10, 2019 – Eutelsat (Paris: ETL) has announced that EUTELSAT 5 West B satellite was successfully launched into super-synchronous transfer orbit by ILS using a Proton Breeze M rocket that lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 12.17 pm CET on October 9.
News categories: Eutelsat, Rodolphe Belmer, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Europe, Middle-East, Satellite

Foxtel selects CommScope for its iQ4 set-top box in Australia
Oct 7, 2019 – CommScope has announced that the New Foxtel Experience leverages CommScope technology to deliver thousands of hours of TV and on-demand movies as well as access to Netflix for subscribers in Australia through Foxtel’s iQ4 set-top box.
News categories: CommScope, Foxtel, Steve McCaffery, Apps, Australia, Cable TV, Digital TV, Satellite, Set Top Box, UX

Ethiosat DTH TV platform for Ethiopia launches on NSS-12
Oct 3, 2019 – Ethiosat has launched – the first Ethiopian TV platform to host Ethiopia’s most popular local channels. This has been made possible by agreements between the Association of Ethiopian Broadcasters (AEB), the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), and SES.
News categories: SES S.A, Association of Ethiopian Broadcasters, Ferdinand Kayser, Amman Fissehazion, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Ethiopia, Satellite

India Q2 2019 pay DTH average active subscriber base at 54.26 million
Oct 1, 2019 – According to figures submitted to TRAI, Pay DTH had an average active subscriber base of around 54.26 million in the quarter ended 30th June, 2019. This is in addition to the subscribers of DTH Free Dish (free DTH services of Doordarshan).
News categories: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Digital TV, India, Satellite, Subscribers

Kartina TV to expand reach using ASTRA 1N at 19.2°E
Sep 30, 2019 – SES has announced that OTT platform Kartina TV plans to expand its reach in Europe by also broadcasting a bouquet of its Russian-language TV channels on a new FTV (Free-to-View) encrypted DTH platform on ASTRA 1N at 19.2 degrees East.
News categories: SES S.A, Kartina TV, Håkan Sjödin, Oleg Jecov, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Europe, Satellite

Pay TV subscriptions in Portugal near 4 million at mid-2019
Sep 24, 2019 – According to Anacom, at the end of 1H 2019, there were around 4 million pay TV subscribers in Portugal, up 132,000 (+3.4%) over the same period of 2018. The growth was driven by fibre-based offerings, which were up 20.2%.
News categories: Anacom, Cable TV, Digital TV, Fibre, IPTV, Portugal, Satellite, Subscribers

Pay TV subscriptions exceed 1 billion
Sep 23, 2019 – Digital TV Research estimates that pay TV subscribers increased by 26 million in 2018 across 138 countries. This took the number of pay TV subscribers beyond 1 billion. IPTV overtook pay satellite TV in 2018.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Simon Murray, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Satellite, Subscribers, Terrestrial, Worldwide

Channel 4 to use Sky's AdSmart technology
Sep 17, 2019 – Sky and Channel 4 have announced a partnership spanning content, technology and innovation. Channel 4 will use Sky’s AdSmart technology to deliver addressable ads across its portfolio of linear channels to both Sky and Virgin Media households.
News categories: Channel 4, Sky, Alex Mahon, Stephen van Rooyen, Advertising, Cable TV, Digital TV, Satellite, UK

Irdeto secures Airtel Xstream 4K set-top box
Sep 15, 2019 – Bharti Airtel has selected Irdeto to securely deliver content on its Airtel Xstream 4K Hybrid Box. The STB, based on Android 9.0, brings satellite TV and OTT content together on a single device, secured by Irdeto Cloaked CA.
News categories: Irdeto, Bharti Airtel, Doug Lowther, Sunil Taldar, Content Protection, Digital TV, IBCShow, India, Satellite, Set Top Box