Belgium - Telenet launches High Definition Television

Focus on earliest digital customers and digital PRIME subscribers

MECHELEN — On 1 December 2007, Telenet will launch its High Definition (HD) television service. The Belgian company announced this today. HD television gives the viewer a picture that is five times sharper than standard definition (SD) and is broadcasted with Dolby sound quality. The HD Digicorder supports all the Telenet Digital TV applications. Twice as many SD films can be recorded on the hard disk, and up to 40 HD films. In order to keep the entry threshold low, Telenet has opted to supply the HD Digicorder on a rental basis.

“High Definition television is a fantastic evolution for our customers”, emphasises Duco Sickinghe, CEO of Telenet. For viewers who have an HD TV set and who want to receive the best picture and sound quality, our HD service is the next logical step. International research has shown that viewers who have an HD screen today mainly want to see films, sport and documentaries in High Definition. With PRIME, we have arrived at the point where we have a sufficient supply of both films and sport to be able to start with HD. Telenet expects to install a few thousand HD boxes by Christmas.”

All the customers who switched to Telenet Digital TV in 2005 and customers having digital PRIME, receive an invitation in November to sign up for the new Telenet HD television service. If they accept the new offer, they will be supplied with the HD Digicorder together with the HD packages free of charge for four months, as a mark of appreciation of their loyalty.

All the other Telenet customers can of course also sign up for the new HD service from 1 November.

HD Starter package and PRIME Movies and Sport in HD

“Now that we are seeing an increasing supply of films and sporting events in High Definition, we are launching HD PRIME. Through HD PRIME, viewers with HD television screens can enjoy the best films and the most sensational sporting fixtures in a stunning picture quality. From December, 1 , PRIME One HD will present Miami Vice, Pirates of the Caribbean, ET, The Good Shepherd, Black Book, Ice Age and a series of blockbusters in High Definition” says Jo Van Gorp, Executive Vice President Residential Marketing at Telenet. He emphasised in addition that PRIME Sport HD will start with a fantastic offering of football from the English, German and Spanish competitions. For example, on December, 16, the top fixture of Liverpool – Manchester United is scheduled on PRIME Sport HD.

“Taking account of the preferences of HD viewers, we have opted to put an HD Starter Package on the market from 1 December ” adds Jo van Gorp. The HD Starter package initially includes the Exqi and National Geographic networks. National Geographic will offer a special HD channel besides its regular digital National Geographic programmes. Exqi provides the best cultural events from classical music to pop, dance, opera and much more. Exqi is produced by the Flemish Euro1080.

New HD Digicorder

The new HD Digicorder has a new and powerful processor that supplies even faster picture and sound processing, also for Standard Definition channels. All the functionality requirements of Telenet Digital TV (electronic TV Guide, film on demand, interactive applications) are supported by the HD Digicorder, which also has a hard disk of 320 gigabyte on board. The HD Digicorder will be supplied on a rental basis, starting at 10 euros per month.

At the same time, Telenet announces that by the second quarter of 2008, a High Definition Digibox will be put on the market. That will concern a fully fledged HD decoder, without recording capacity using a hard disk.

Telenet HD Digicorder

• Hard disk: 320 GB: the hard disk of 320 GB allows up to 65 hours of programmes to be recorded in High Definition quality or up to 200 hours in Standard Definition quality
• Available resolutions: 720×576 (SDTV), 1280x720p, 1920x1080i
• Supports Dolby 5.1 for perfect sound quality
• Possibility of recording two programmes simultaneously
• Supports MPEG 4

Digibox, Digicorder or HD Digicorder?

For which types of consumer does Telenet have a digital decoder on the market?

• For the early bird, the Telenet Digibox: If a customer has a standard television screen and he wants a better picture and sound quality than that provided by analogue, but does not immediately require recording capacity and wants to be able to play and vote or request films or television programmes, the Telenet Digibox is recommended. Price: from 99 euros (incl. VAT). Available to rent.
• For the viewer who wants flexibility, the Telenet Digicorder: If a customer has a standard television screen and he wants a better picture and sound quality than that provided by analogue and he wants to be able to record programmes on a personal video recorder in digital quality besides requesting films and television programmes or voting and playing interactively, the Telenet Digicorder is recommended. Price: from 99 euros (incl. VAT). Available to rent.
• For the viewer who wants superior quality, the HD Digicorder: If a customer has a High Definition television screen and wants to receive superior picture and sound quality (1920 x 1080i and Dolby 5.0 sound), but also wants to be able to record, to request films and television programmes and to play and vote with television programmes, the Telenet High Definition Digicorder is recommended. HD Digicorders are only available to rent.

Content in High Definition

PRIME One HD is the High Definition equivalent of PRIME One. This means 24/24 hours of top films and series in HD quality. In December alone, there will be more than 100 films in HD quality shown, with blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code, Miami Vice, Borat!, Pirates of the Carribean – Dead Man’s Chest, Mission Impossible III, Superman returns, besides Oscar winners like Little Miss Sunshine and Brokeback Mountain. For the children, there is the animation film Ice Age : the Meltdown, Monster House or the visually stunning Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Crusade in Jeans and the fully remastered version of the classic ET (20th anniversary).

PRIME Sport HD offers top sport every weekend from the English, German and Spanish football tournaments in HD. On 16 December, Liverpool – Manchester United is scheduled, and Arsenal – Chelsea. In the weekend of 23 December, there is FC Barcelona – Real Madrid. On 26 December, there will be the Premier League Boxing Day with various top matches. And fans of American Football are not forgotten. On 4 February, they can see the Super Bowl, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events, live in HD.

National Geographic HD is a new network that is fully dedicated to broadcasting the top programmes of National Geographic in HD quality. The popular series such as Treasure Seekers, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Ancient Megastructures, etc., are shown in incredible picture quality, with Dolby Digital Surround Sound.

EXQI HD, the Flemish cultural network, can also be viewed in HD quality from December, 1. In addition to a daily cultural magazine, De Verbeelding, the viewer can enjoy a wide range of cultural offerings, from opera, classical concerts and dance productions to rock concerts.

HD packages cost 5 euros per month for the High Definition Starter package and 5 euros per month for the PRIME HD Package, both including VAT. All the PRIME customers who switch to High Definition within the terms of the launch offer will receive the PRIME HD package free for four months. Digital viewers wishing to take the HD Starter Package will also receive this free for four months.