SKY Italia selects Pace for high definition launch

Satdude

SKY Italia selects Pace for high definition launch

This is not an advert for Pace or Sky Italia

Pace expands HD experience in Europe

Saltaire, West Yorkshire, 22 May 2006: Pace Micro Technology plc (pic.l), the leading dedicated innovator of technology solutions for the payTV industry, has been selected by SKY Italia as a launch partner for its high definition (HD) TV service.

Pace is supplying its next generation HD set-top box to SKY Italia - the DS815NS - part of the Pace HD family of products.
The DS815 incorporates DVB-S2 technology - giving up to a 30% improvement in performance - and H.264 compression decoding to optimise bandwidth utilisation. It also comes with HDMI connectivity, with HDCP, to ensure secure transferal of data to HD-Ready displays.

SKY Italia`s HD service launched on 17 May with live coverage of the European Champions League Cup Final. In June, SKY Italia will provide full coverage in HD of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Mark Williams, SKY Italia COO commented: "High definition is the ultimate way to enjoy television. We are very excited about our launch, especially with the FIFA World Cup only weeks away. Pace was a natural choice as an HD partner as we launched our initial digital service together and also recently our PVR service at the beginning of the year."

Neil Gaydon, Chief Executive Officer added: "SKY Italia is among the first major payTV operators in Europe to start deploying HDTV - as Premiere is doing in Germany - and Pace has been the launch partner for both.

"It is our experience in delivering HDTV to the States over the last four years that has given us this lead in the development of the HD technologies for Europe. We are pleased that we can continue to build on this success with our key customers across Europe."

Regards Satdude.

gameboy

Pace are a great British success story (IMO) that could have done so much better if they had managed to negotiate a better deal on the supply of S*y UK receivers.

IMHO that cost all involved - Pace could have used any profit to develop better boxes something they are world leaders in.

If I remember they also had to move production overseas to cut costs.

The share price closed today at 49p in 2001 they were over £5!

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Only he who does nothing, does nothing wrong.

Analoguesat

Lets hope Sky Italia manage their HDTV roll out better than the shambles that Sky Uk concocted.

gameboy

Hopefully Pace will deliver as Thomson did not!

__________________

Only he who does nothing, does nothing wrong.