Sky Italia HD (Italy) full package
SKY Italia, Italy's leading pay-TV platform which broadcasts exclusively from Eutelsat's HOT BIRD; video neighbourhood, has unveiled its planning for the launch next month in Italy of its new SKY HD package dedicated to HDTV content. In order to support its expansion into HDTV, SKY Italia is leasing an additional HOT BIRD; transponder from May 1, taking its total capacity used across Eutelsat's HOT BIRD satellites to 18 transponders. The new service will launch on 17 May with live coverage of the European Champions League Cup Final. In June, SKY Italia will provide full coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup;, enabling subscribers with HD-ready equipment to benefit from panoramic views and razor-sharp detail of all 64 matches. Broadcasting in DVB S2 with MPEG4 compression, SKY Italia will be able to accommodate up to five high definition channels in a single HOT BIRD; transponder.
Following the 2006 FIFA World Cup, SKY Italia will launch its HD bouquet,
with channels dedicated to movies, sport and general entertainment. To Access the SKY HD package you will require a Sky HD decoder this will be provided as a free loan but we will require a fully refundable deposit of £450.00 in addition to the main subscription. Subscriptions will be available from May 8.
Commenting on the upcoming HD launch, Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO said "We are delighted that our HOT BIRD; video neighbourhood, which ten years ago accompanied the launch of Europe's first digital video channels in DVB, is also the platform of choice for commercial HDTV broadcasting to satellite homes. SKY Italia's move into HD further consolidates the important role it plays in Italy's dynamic television market and opens the door to a new broadcasting experience for Italian TV homes".
This new offer will take SKY Italia's channel line-up to over 160 TV and radio channels serving a subscriber base in Italy of more than 3.6 million homes.
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