Astra reveals HD+ pricing

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The reception of HDTV platform HD+, which SES Astra will launch for German DTH households this autumn, will cost €50 per year, the satellite operator announced in Luxembourg.

Viewers will get a pre-Christmas treat in the shape of a couple of HDTV channels, promised for November 1. In January three other HD channels will come to air on HD+ (Sat 1, Pro7 and kabel eins). The bouquet, encrypted in Nagravision and marketed by Astra subsidiary HD Plus, is open to further broadcasters.

At first access is ‘free’. Astra will eventually charge what it promises will be a modest technical fee for the service. “The first receivers, which are suitable for HD+, will be available commercially with the launch. They can be identified by the HD+ logo on the receiver packaging and on the device itself. In addition to the HD programmes of the private broadcasters, all unencrypted HD programs of, for example, Das Erste, ZDF and ARTE as well as all other digital offers broadcast via Astra, will be available,” says an Astra statement.

“TV viewers can use HD+ for one year free of charge by purchasing a HD+ satellite receiver. For the HD+ offer, neither a contract obligation nor a subscription is necessary; connecting the receiver suffices. If the viewer would like to continue using HD+ after the first year, he can recharge his HD+ card at the price of €50.”

By the end of the year, Astra says six models of HD+ receivers will be launched by receiver manufacturers Humax, Technisat, Technotrend Görler and Videoweb. In addition, HD+ will support modules for receivers using the CI Plus standard. TV sets with integrated receivers and a CI Plus interface from manufacturers such as Loewe, Metz, Samsung or Sony also support HD+.

Wilfried Urner, CEO of HD+, says: “TV viewers in Germany have already bought 17m HD TV sets, thus impressively showing that they are ready for HD. HD+ is a simple and very customer-friendly product and immediately opens up the fascination of HD for the viewers. For us, this is a decisive factor for the market launch of the service. The broad offer of receivers supporting HD+ allows TV viewers to benefit from a highly attractive programme offer in HD quality free of charge for one year. Apart from the private broadcasters with the widest reach, TV viewers can also receive all free-to-air HD offers and the broad digital channel offer, broadcast via Astra. Moreover, HD+ is open for further broadcasters planning to broadcast their HD programmes via this new offer.”


Source:RapidTVNews