Sky
Digital General Information Digitize
Sky
Digital General Information
The Channels and Programmes
Here is a brief round up of what has been announced for the ASTRA Satellite System so far:
BSkyB
BSkyB will be broadcasting up to 200 channels and services. These will include:
Sky Movie Multiplexing
New and Existing Channels
Sky Box Office
With over 50 channels of blockbuster movies, sports and exclusive entertainment events starting as often as every 15 minutes, the visit to the video shop will become a thing of the past.
Viewers can enjoy the home cinema experience with selected movies available in Dolby Surround and windscreen format. This pay-per-view service will mean viewers only pay for what they watch.
Sky Music Choice
Up to 50 audio channels broadcasting digital quality music will be available, with stations devoted to particular genres - rock, classical, soul, country and many more. There will be no disc jockeys or advertisements to distract from listening enjoyment. Your customers can get the complete home entertainment experience by connecting their digital set-top receiver to a hi-fi.
Interactive Services
A menu of services will be d splayed on an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) and accessed through the new remote control. Among these will be a range of interactive services planned to follow the launch of digital satellite broadcasts. These wil1 be supplied by British Interactive Broadcasting (BIB) and will be available through a telephone connect on to the set top receiver Services including home shopping, home banking, e-mail games and home study are planned.
BBC
The BBC is greatly expanding the choice offered to viewers with digital 5 channels have been announced all on a free to view basis and dedicated to windscreen formats.
• BBC ONE and BBC TWO will be available as usual, but with digital picture and sound quality, viewers' enjoyment w be greatly enhanced.
• BBC NEWS 24 will be on air 24 hours a day bringing the very best in uninterrupted coverage of the events that make the headlines and in depth reporting on a major world news
• BBC CHOICE will complement and interact with other BBC channels to provide an enriched programming choice. Themed nights and follow-on programmes linked to other channels will be a feature. Intelligent and stimulating, BBC CHOICE will be a major plus for all viewers.
• BBC LEARNING will cover a vast number of topics and aims to educate everyone in a way that is both easy and fun
Turner Broadcasting
Digital satellite will see the arrival of 24 hour, versions of TNT and the Cartoon Network plus CNN.
Viacom
For pop and rock music fans this will be a 'must have' service. All their favourite artists coming to their, in home entertainment systems in CD quality digital sound and pin-sharp pictures through MTV, VH1 and the new M2 service.
Discovery
This well established broadcaster's programmes will be greatly enhanced in the digital domain, with topics and programmes well suited to the windscreen format
UK TV
This joint venture between the BBC and Flextech will be broadcasting a number of new channels and some old favourites - UK Gold - classics from the BBC archives UK Horizons the world we live in brought to life on screen, UK Style - lifestyles and leisure and UK Arena the very best in arts and entertainment.
Flextech
Flextech is one of the fastest growing media groups in Europe with interests spanning satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasting as well as programming and product on. Flextech will have the capacity to broadcast up to 16 digital channels on ASTRA.