Foxtel to launch four HD channels mid-2008, more to come

Adam Turner
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 08:01

Your IT - Entertainment

Foxtel's upcoming HD+ service will offer four high definition channels of movies, sport and docos at launch mid-year, plus high definition movies on demand.

The four 24-hour HD channels will include BBC HD, Fox Sports HD and ESPN HD - with Discovery HD and National Geographic HD initially combined on one channel. The new channels will broadcast sport, movies and documentaries in a mixture of native 720p and 1080i resolutions. Local high definition sports content in 1080i will include AFL, NRL, Super 14s, A League and Twenty20 cricket.

The new high definition content will be available to both cable and satellite Foxtel subscribers from mid-year with the upgrade to a HD Foxtel set top box. According to Foxtel, only 25 per cent of its subscribers currently own a HD compatible television. Those without a HD compatible television will still be able to watch the HD channels, but they will be downscaled to SD.

Extra high definition channels will be on offer in May  2009 when the pay TV provider gains access to the new Optus D3 satellite plus extra bandwidth on the Telstra cable network. Foxtel plans to offer multiple HD channels for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, with eight HD channels scheduled for the 2012 London Olympics.

Speaking at a Sydney preview event, Foxtel managing director Kim Williams also unveiled details of the new Foxtel iQ2 high definition personal video recorder, to be equipped with a 320GB hard drive holding up to 30 hours of HD recordings or 90 hours of standard definition. The box will also feature an HDMI output and four HD tuners - allowing users to record two Foxtel channels whilst watching a third. The fourth tuner will be used to trickle Foxtel Box Office HD movies to the box in advance, giving subscribers access to instant on-demand 1080i high definition pay-per-view movies.