Published:
17-Jul-08
Australian and New Zealand pay TV leaders Foxtel and Sky Network Television have launched high-definition television (HDTV) services. Australia's Foxtel officially launched its HDTV service called HD+ on 22 June 2008 broadcasting in MPEG-4 and supporting both 720p and 1080i HD formats. Foxtel's HD+ content is accessed via the company's iQ2 set-top box which is available for A$10 ($9.60) per month after a A$200 ($192) upgrade fee per outlet is paid. Foxtel subscribers initially have access to five 24-hour HD channels; BBC HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic Channel HD, Fox Sports HD and ESPN HD. Foxtel's HD channels are available for subscribers in two, three and five channel packages for between A$6.95 ($6.65) and A$14.95 ($14.35) on top of their current subscription fees. Subscribers may also access HD movies via Foxtel's pay-per-view Box Office HD On Demand service for A$6.95 ($6.65) per movie.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's Sky TV also officially launched its HDTV service called My Sky HDi on 11 June 2008 supporting the 1080i format. Sky TV's HD content is via a My Sky HDi set-top box that is identical to that offered by Foxtel. Sky TV subscribers also have access to five channels; Sky Sport 1 and 2, Sky Movies, Sky Movies Greats and free-to-air channel TV3. Customers may rent the My Sky HDi set-top box for NZ$15 ($11) per month or purchase it outright for NZ$599 ($450).
Our take...
Launches mark the first HD offerings by pay TV operators in Australia and New Zealand. Foxtel will have a first-step advantage in the HD space on its rival pay TV operators for some time. Optus has not yet made a decision regarding the support of HDTV whilst regional pay TV provider Austar is to release its HD mid-2009. Meanwhile, Sky TV's rival TelstraClear have stated they will offer a HD service in the future but a date is still to be set.
Both companies do however face competition from free-to-air broadcasters. Australia's public and commercial free-to-air broadcasters all broadcast HD channels whilst New Zealand's FreeView consortium launched free-to-air HD DTT services in April 2008. Foxtel plans to expand its HD+ service in 2009 once the new Optus D3 satellite is operational and access to increased cable capacity becomes available. Foxtel has already signed more than 22,000 subscribers to its HD+ service whilst Sky TV targets 80,000 subscribers to its My Sky HDi service by end June 2009.
Australia,
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