MBC increases its HD line-up on My-HD
Rebecca Hawkes | 29-10-2013
MBC3 HD and MBC Persia are joining the existing seven high definition (HD) channels from MBC on the low-cost Middle East pay-TV platform My-HD, as the Dubai-based broadcaster increases its migration from standard definition content.
"Today, we estimate that 1.5 million [regional] households have HD receivers and are able to see MBC HD channels. Unfortunately there may be double that number who have an HD television but haven't yet got the correct set-top box to enable them to see HD broadcasts. Unfortunately for these people, they won't be able to get the full benefit of their investment and enjoy the full HDTV experience," said Sam Barnett, CEO, MBC Group.
"Luckily, such boxes are available widely and our intention is to assure and make the MBC HD channels available through as many platforms as possible, while ensuring a steady growth in HD penetration as people replace their TV sets."
MBC will reduce its SD output as the number of HDTV households across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) increases. Barnett explained: "We have little interest in paying millions to support old technology that delivers a lower quality product.
"HD had a reasonably slow start – however we have now reached a critical mass of channels, and solid and steady growth continues with the HD numbers. This will accelerate, as viewers who become used to watching in HD are very unlikely to convert back to SD – so the transition is unrelenting, and constitutes a major transition in the industry, similar to the viewing experience in coloured TV that replaced black and white decades ago," he added.
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