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

ILS successfully launches AsiaSat 9
Sep 29, 2017 – ILS has carried the AsiaSat 9 satellite into orbit for AsiaSat. Built by SSL, it is a replacement for AsiaSat 4 at 122°E with multiple C, Ku and Ka-band payloads and will provide DTH, video distribution, VSAT broadband and mobility services.
News categories: International Launch Services, AsiaSat, Kirk Pysher, Andrew Jordan, Asia, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Satellite

India adds 1.7 million active DTH subscribers in 2Q 2017
Sep 28, 2017 – According to figures submitted to TRAI, active satellite pay TV subscriptions in India reached 65.31 million at the end of June 2017, up 1.7 million versus the end of 1Q 2017. In India there are 6 pay DTH service providers.
News categories: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Digital TV, India, Satellite, Subscribers

Travelxp, world’s first 4K HDR channel, launches on HOTBIRD
Sep 28, 2017 – Eutelsat has announced the launch in Europe on 1 October of Travelxp 4K on HOTBIRD. Travelxp 4K, the world’s first 4K HDR channel, will use HOTBIRD’s penetration into cable and IPTV networks across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
News categories: Eutelsat, Travelxp 4K, Prashant Chothani, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Europe, Middle-East, Satellite

Number of US TV households with pay TV down to 79%
Sep 26, 2017 – According to Leichtman Research (LRG), about 79% of U.S. TV households subscribe to some form of pay-TV service. The percentage of TV households that subscribe to a pay-TV service is down from 84% in 2014, 88% in 2010, and 81% in 2004.
News categories: Leichtman Research, Bruce Leichtman, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, USA

Pay TV subscribers hit 1.05 billion worldwide
Sep 26, 2017 – According to data published by Dataxis for the second quarter of 2017, global Pay TV subscribers reached 1.05 billion after crossing the one billion mark in 2016. 60 million Pay TV subscribers were added during the preceding 12 months.
News categories: Dataxis, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Streaming, Subscribers, Terrestrial, Worldwide

MaxLinear Ku-band downconverter IC selected by MTI for Sky Q wideband LNBs
Sep 20, 2017 – MaxLinear (NYSE: MXL) has announced that a chip in its MxL80x RF downconverter family has been selected by Microelectronics Technology Inc. (MTI) for a new wideband LNB that will ship to customers of Sky UK to enable its innovative Sky Q services.
News categories: MaxLinear, Microelectronics Technology Inc., Will Torgerson, Eugene Wu, Digital TV, LNB, Satellite, Semiconductor, UK

Nuance and UEI bring conversational interface to yes DBS in Israel
Sep 19, 2017 – Nuance Communications (NASDAQ:NUAN) and Universal Electronics (UEI) (NASDAQ:UEIC) have announced that they power the first conversational interface for Pay TV in Israel for yes. yes will launch their first voice-powered remote control in September 2017.
News categories: Nuance Communications, Universal Electronics, 'yes', Dan Faulkner, Menno Koopmans, Itzhak Elyakim, Digital TV, Israel, Satellite, UX

Dish TV India selects Verimatrix Cardless Security for DTH expansion
Sep 18, 2017 – Verimatrix has announced that Dish TV India has selected Verimatrix to provide cardless security for its DTH service offerings. VCAS for DVB was selected for its future-proof approach to revenue security.
News categories: Verimatrix, Dish TV India, Steve Oetegenn, V K Gupta, Content Protection, Digital TV, IBCShow, India, Satellite

MaxLinear and Gospell deliver multi-tuner LNB solution for satellite
Sep 18, 2017 – MaxLinear (NYSE: MXL) has announced a reference design with Gospell Digital Technology. The platform combines MaxLinear’s MxL80x satellite RF downconverter and MxL862 digital channel stacking switch (dCSS) ICs.
News categories: MaxLinear, Gospell Digital Technology, Will Torgerson, Zhao Mulin, Digital TV, LNB, Satellite, Semiconductor, Worldwide