Lacey H.K (Travaux Electrique & Pose d'Antenne)

Mayenne Satellite Services

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Latest news at Sky

Sky is planning a reshuffle of its EPG to create more spaces in 13 of its genres.
Gaps created by channel launches and departures will be filled by existing channels moving up in the guide. They will, however, retain their positions relative to each other.
Six genres will be moved to inhabit different channel number blocks entirely. They are believed to be lifestyle and culture, religion, music, shopping, gaming and dating.
Channels are expected to be informed of their new positions late next month and the changes will happen through the summer.
The BBC is ready to tackle ITV PLC and British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC for the right to broadcast Champions League football, according to a report in The Times.

Setanta is also expected to bid but Virgin Media is thought unlikely to participate after Neil Berkett, its chief executive, said that the cable company would invest instead in its broadband network.
Sky has denied rumours it is planning to close its Freesat from Sky service.
It was suggested the broadcaster would stop offering the product, which offers a basic line-up of channels without a subscription, as terrestrial broadcasters launch their Freesat service in the spring.
However, a Sky spokesman said: "Freesat from Sky is still available for a one-off fee. There is no plan to withdraw this product."
Freesat News
Freesat will offer 200 channels plus interactive services for a one-off payment, targeting both the 27% of the UK population who are currently outside of DTT coverage and those with HD-enabled TV sets who do not wish to pay subscription services for high definition content.

The BBC is planning to significantly enhance its interactive services on digital satellite in time for the launch of Freesat this Spring.

A page on the newly-unveiled Freesat website said: "The BBC will offer a wide range of red button services on freesat. From launch you'll be able to read the latest news and sport stories 24 hours a day, check out what's happening in the world of business, enjoy entertainment news and quickly access the official lottery results.

"From Summer of 2008, you will be able to get a wide range of news in video at any time you want it, with weather information for where you live. During the Beijing Olympics, you'll be able to choose between coverage of different sports and highlights to get the whole BBC Olympics package.

A high definition version of FX is likely to be launched in the first half of this year according to an email received by one of our forum members from the broadcaster.

The email reads: "We are currently renegotiating our acquisition contracts to include HD materials and rights, that will allow us to broadcast in this format. We are also waiting for Sky to upgrade their transmission suites to make them HD compatible. At present there are a limited number of suites and these are already broadcasting other HD channels. Once all of this has been completed we will be launching FX HD and expect this to be in the first half of 2008."
Ofcom has already granted a broadcast licence for the channel.

Sky has confirmed that its high definition boxes will get a new version of electronic programme guide software this year.

Details of the new guide software first emerged in November, and at that time it was understood that newer Sky+ and Sky HD boxes would be upgraded. Now Sky has confirmed that only HD boxes will receive the upgrade.

The current 4 top level options (TV Guide, Box Office, Services and Interactive) are to be replaced with 10 options, in which television, radio and interactive services will be listed separately. Other alterations including a 1/8th size mini-TV display showing video from channels as they are selected in the TV Guide are also planned.

Sky has told broadcasters that it "expects to introduce a new version of its EPG software for HD set top boxes at some time during 2008".

High definition broadcasts from ITV1 will launch on digital satellite next Spring, the network confirmed today.

ITV plans to spend £10m during 2008 on the launch of ITV1 HD and its participation in Freesat, the upcoming digital satellite marketing joint-venture with the BBC.

The broadcaster said it would "continue to support the growth of Freeview and lead the campaign for high definition on the digital terrestrial television platform."

Sky Gnome, a device introduced in 2005 to allow Sky subscribers to listen to sound from their digibox remotely, is no longer being sold by Sky.

Channel 4 testing Free to air
Free to air broadcasts of Channel 4, Film 4 and Film 4+1 have appeared on the Astra 2D satellite.

The feeds have been visible since Friday.
It is the first time Channel 4 has been available free to air on satellite and strongly suggests the channel will be part of the launch lineup of subscription-free service Freesat.

All the broadcaster's channels except Film 4 have previously been part of an exclusive digital satellite carriage deal with Sky. However, the broadcaster signalled its interest in joining Freesat last year.

Encrypted feeds for Channel 4's bouquet, except Film 4, are continuing on Astra 2A and regional versions of Channel 4 for advert purposes are not yet available on Astra 2D.

The BBC moved its channels from Astra 2A to Astra 2D in 2003, ahead of taking them FTA. Broadcasters consider Astra 2D more appropriate for FTA feeds because its footprint is more closely focused on the UK.

Freesat, a new free to air digital satellite proposition from the BBC and ITV, is expected to launch next month though its backers have only confirmed it will start this spring.

ITV2 and its one-hour timeshift sibling are to begin broadcasting 24 hours a day on March 17, it was announced today.
As part of the changes, ITV2+1 will swap slots on Sky's electronic programme guide with Men & Motors, resulting in the timeshift channel making a significant jump from channel 184 to 131.

GMTV2 programming, including the Action Stations kids' TV strand, will move from ITV2 to ITV4. Action Stations will continue to be simulcast on CiTV.
CSC Media Group is planning to launch a new music channel called Flava on digital satellite.
The service, playing R'n'B, hip hop, garage and drum and bass, will begin on channel 357 at the end of the month.
France 24 the free french channel in English on the sky platform is to cease broadcasting this year. In its place France Monde in French.
Sky is adding three new high-definition TV channels to its HD line-up taking the offering to 17 in total.
The new channels, which will be launching in the coming weeks will be Sky Sports HD 3, Sky Movies Premiere HD and FX HD.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has bought a 14.6% stake in German pay-TV operator Premiere for €287m (£214m), five years after losing £1bn on a previous investment in the broadcaster. At the time Murdoch described the loss as a "black eye" and all but decided to pull out of mainland Europe, although he moved into Italy shortly afterwards.
Turner Classic Movies has moved to the Style and Culture Mix on Sky. The movie channel had previously been available in the Variety Mix along with sibling station TCM2.
Luxe TV has joined Sky's electronic programme guide in the high definition section.

The free to air high definition service appeared in the EPG on channel 286. Describing itself as "the first international network, fully produced in high definition and broadcast in high and standard definition, exclusively dedicated to the luxury world", it features programmes about upscale real estate, sports, hotels, cars and yachting.

Sky is adding three new high-definition TV channels to its HD line-up taking the offering to 17 in total.
The new channels, which will be launching in the coming weeks will be Sky Sports HD 3, Sky Movies Premiere HD and FX HD.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has bought a 14.6% stake in German pay-TV operator Premiere for €287m (£214m), five years after losing £1bn on a previous investment in the broadcaster. At the time Murdoch described the loss as a "black eye" and all but decided to pull out of mainland Europe, although he moved into Italy shortly afterwards.
Turner Classic Movies has moved to the Style and Culture Mix on Sky. The movie channel had previously been available in the Variety Mix along with sibling station TCM2.
Luxe TV has joined Sky's electronic programme guide in the high definition section.

The free to air high definition service appeared in the EPG on channel 286. Describing itself as "the first international network, fully produced in high definition and broadcast in high and standard definition, exclusively dedicated to the luxury world", it features programmes about upscale real estate, sports, hotels, cars and yachting.

Channel 4 has started HD transmissions service on digital satellite. Channel 140

Sky is planning to offer a radically enhanced electronic programme guide on newer versions of its Sky+ digital video recorder. Sky confirmed to that it is currently consulting broadcasters on the proposed changes, key details of which have emerged on our forums.

The new EPG, which will only be available on new Sky+ boxes, will replace the current 4 top-level options (TV Guide, Box Office, Services and Interactive) with 10 options (TV Guide, Planner, Anytime, Box Office, Interactive, Radio, Search, Parental Control, Options and Settings). A 1/8th size mini-TV display in the top right-hand corner of the screen will show video and carry audio from channels as they are selected in the TV Guide. The TV Guide itself will show more channels per page, up from the current 10 to 12 (with mini-TV) or 24 (if mini-TV is turned off). The search and scan banner will show more programme information including when a show started and will permit synopsis information from other shows to be displayed via the 'i' button. Other changes include a better search function covering 7 days of programme data and series links being selected by default when a programme is recorded.

The enhanced guide will be introduced "at some time during 2008" and will only be available on newer Sky+ boxes and Sky HD.

The BBC is currently trialling an HD channel of programming from across its channels on digital satellite and cable TV.

Separately, MTV Networks International yesterday announced plans to launch the Viacom-owned company's first pan-European HD service next year.

The HD service will feature MTV Unplugged, VH1 Storytellers and a children's programming block including Ren and Stimpy and SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as acquired programming.

Sky has set ambitious targets for its HD output on the first anniversary of the launch of the service.

The broadcaster has promised that by Christmas 2008, around two thirds of all primetime shows on Sky One will be available in HD. Furthermore, 90% of the channel's original commissions will be made in HD in 2008.

Separately, a new agreement will bring titles from the Warner Bros. Entertainment library - including Syriana, V For Vendetta and Firewall - to Sky Movies HD1 and HD2.

"[This] shows our commitment to making the best of Sky available in high definition, across the schedule," said Brian Sullivan, MD of the Customer Group at Sky.

Since its launch last May, more than 250,000 customers have signed up for Sky HD

ph: 0033 (0)243 089754
fax: 0033 (0)243 006392
alt: 0033 (0)684 385851
mayennesatellite@aol.com