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    Wednesday, September 21, 2016

    Pay TV Operators Prepare For Digital Migration

    Subscribers and industry players in the country on Monday said that StarTimes had taken steps to show its preparation for the migration from analogue to digital television broadcasting.
    They told our correspondent that the 2-in-1 combo produced by StarTimes was an innovation that would change the Pay TV landscape in Africa and offer entertainment access to subscribers, especially as it concerns the viewing of Premier League matches, which had captured the interest of millions of Nigerians.
    A subscriber, Ayodele Martins, said, “The innovative product is equipped with the world’s latest decoder technology to combine effectively, for the first time, the features of both digital terrestrial (DTT) and direct to home (DTH) digital television technologies on a single device.”

    An industry player, who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, shared Martins’ views, saying, “The product is a game changer from StarTimes, and deliberately designed with the latest global technology to lavish subscribers with unprecedented access to digital television and entertainment.”
    The Marketing Director, StarTimes, Mr. Oludare Kafar, said, “Interestingly, this new combo decoder works with both antenna and dish and offers channels on both for the price of one.”
    According to him, it also grants our subscribers access to over 100 channels across the genres with an enhanced high definition (HD) picture quality.

    Kafar noted that the digital television company’s desire was to offer multiple access to subscribers to enjoy both digital terrestrial and digital satellite television channels and offerings on the same decoder and grant ease of access to switch between the options conveniently, “because our customers deserve utmost comfort and convenience.”
    He said, “We strive to ensure that with a single decoder, the customer enjoys access to all digital television channels and contents available.”
    Meanwhile, StarTimes said that the new decoder was expected to replace the traditional single decoder model.
    “By default, both the DTT and DTH have comparative advantages, but with the combo, StarTimes subscribers enjoy the combined strength of both.
    “DTT is embraced as a model for its affordability, low weather interference, portability, more local channels, easy to set up and mobile friendly, while DTH is desired for its sharper and clearer images, higher number of international channels, resilience and widespread strength in remote areas,” the StarTimes marketing director said.

    However, the Head of Public Relations, StarTimes, Mr. Israel Bolaji, said that the company would continue to offer subscribers the best in class of pay TV experience with world class channels for drama, sports, kiddies, news, music and religion.
    “We are keen to continuously enhance access and improve digital television experience for our subscribers,” he added.
    To ensure that Nigeria does not for the third time fail to meet the digital migration deadline in 2017, StarTimes, a major operator of digital TV networks in Africa, and Eutelsat Communications in France, have concluded new multi-year agreements that set the stage for accelerated roll-out of digital broadcasting services across Africa.
    StarTimes uses satellites to deliver its multi-channel TV platform to over seven million homes in 13 sub-Saharan African countries and is gearing up to expand into the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia in August.

    The platform transmits over 200 channels, including international channels, regional and country-focused channels as well as StarTimes’ own branded content. Content is offered both on a Free-to-View and pay TV basis, with exclusive programming, including frontline events such as the Bundesliga and the 2016 Copa America.
    StarTimes Group Chairman and President, Pang Xinxing, said, “StarTimes and Eutelsat are long-term strategic partners. We rely on Eutelsat’s advanced satellite communication technology to make our signals available throughout the African continent. Going forward, we will continue to work with Eutelsat to provide the best digital TV service to our African customers.”
    Eutelsat Chief Executive Officer, Rodolphe Belmer, said, “Eutelsat is fully engaged in the transformation of Africa’s broadcasting landscape and is proud to work with the players who are bringing the benefits of digital TV to viewers across the continent.”
    He said, “In leveraging diversified satellite resources, we can help StarTimes achieve its ambition to reach 30 million homes in 30 African countries by 2018.”
    Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites.

    The company provides capacity on 39 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies. Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.
    Meanwhile, MultiChoice Africa has also taken steps to prepare for the digital migration deadline. The company and Eutelsat Communications have announced the signing of a nine-year contract for the expansion of the MultiChoice DStv platform at Eutelsat’s 36° East video neighbourhood.
    The announcement was made at the International Broadcasting Conference in Amsterdam.
    Our correspondent gathered that the new contract for one transponder reinforces the long-standing relationship between MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat, and will further anchor 36° East as a premier location for digital video entertainment services in Africa.
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