Globo and Thomson to develop rural digital TV for Brazil

Brazil’s Globo is planning a rural digital TV system, called TVDR, to replace the 15 million satellite dishes that currently receive analogue free-to-air signals in the country.

The system is being developed in partnership with Thomson (Paris:18453; NYSE: TMS) who will provide a set-top box fitted with an embedded GPS chip to allow for the targeting of local programming via conditional access.

Tests will begin in October in rural parts of Rio de Janeiro state, using the StarOne C2 satellite at 70° West.