Platco Digital, operator of OpenView HD (OVHD) and sister company to E-tv, has taken over some of Sentech\u2019s capacity on Intelsat’s\u00a0IS-20 satellite,\u00a0a spokesperson for the company has confirmed.<\/p>\n
“We have a capacity leasing agreement with Sentech,”\u00a0Platco boss Maxwell Nonge explained when asked how they\u00a0acquired the capacity.<\/p>\n
Sentech operates a free-to-view service similar to OVHD called Freevision, and IS-20 is the same satellite used by MultiChoice for its pay-TV service DStv.<\/p>\n
OVHD currently uses\u00a0a satellite in the same 5\u00b0E orbital slot as StarSat (formerly TopTV), while IS-20 sits at 68.5\u00b0E. Platco has signed a 15 year deal with SES<\/a> for capacity on its SES-5 satellite at 5\u00b0E.<\/p>\n Asked whether this means that existing customers will have to get an additional dish, Nonge\u00a0said that it won’t be necessary for its current clients to\u00a0make any changes.<\/p>\n “The IS-20 opportunity allows us to offer OpenView HD\u00a0services more widely, to households which already have an existing satellite dish, whether it is pointing at TopTV\u00a0or DStv\/Vivid [Freevision]. OpenView\u00a0HD will continue to provide the same channel offering on SES-5,” Nonge\u00a0said.<\/p>\n “The intention is that OpenView\u00a0HD\u00a0may include free-to-view channels which are already on IS-20, but are currently only available through other free-to-view services,” said Nonge.<\/p>\n OpenView HD victory against SABC interdict<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n OpenView HD viewer numbers revealed<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n OpenView HD decoder from Space TV pricing<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore OpenView HD and SA broadcasting news<\/h3>\n