After announcing a number of deals in the MENA region, satellite operator Eutelsat has now announced a win much closer to home with France Télévisions.
The French public broadcaster will be taking capacity on the EUTELSAT 5 West A satellite allowing it to upgrade all of France 3's regional channels to HD from 5 April.
The 24 regional channels will be available for the two million homes receiving Fransat, Eutelsat’s free-to-view TV platform for French homes. The move is part of the complete switch of France’s DTT channels to MPEG4-HD in the night of 4 to 5 April. Fransat viewers will be the first satellite viewers to experience the benefits of enhanced sound and video quality of France 3's full roster of regional channels.
The change in standard is a major challenge for France Télévisions, requiring uninterrupted broadcasting of a line-up comprising five national channels — namely France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, France Ô — and the 24 regional channels of France 3.
Eutelsat adds that video, audio, data used for audio description and connected TV services will all benefit from improved quality optimised for TV viewers.