UPC Poland launches free-to-air service to trump DTT

Polish cable operator UPC Poland has made 35 channels available free to view and unencrypted on its platform. 

According to the company, its free to view offering provides a richer channel choice than that offered by digital-terrestrial TV. UPC says it is the first and only operator to provide free-to-air digital channels on this scale.

The channel choice includes three HD services and a promotional free-to-view window for movie channel Kino Polska.

Channels in the offering include TVP1, TVP1 HD, TVP2, TVP2 HD, TVP Info, Polsat, TVN, TVN HD, TVN7, TV 4, TV Puls, TVP Rozrywka, TVP Kultura, TVP Historia, TVP Polonia, PULS2, TV6, ATM Rozrywka, TTV, Polsat Sport News, Eska TV, Polo TV, Polsat2, Superstacja, TVS, TV Trwam, Tele5, religia.tv, 4fun.tv, Mango24, iTV and Galeria UPC as well as local TV services.

UPC Poland also plans to launch a new digital Start TV package that will replace the existing Pakiet Minimalny basic analogue package.

The free digital channels can be received via an integrated TV with a DVB-C tuner, including MPEG-4 for the HD services.