ORF ups HD offering with additional Astra capacity

Austrian public broadcaster ORF is set to expand its high definition output after increasing its Astra satellite transponder capacity.

ORF is taking an additional transponder on the orbital position 19.2 degrees East from SES-owned Astra satellite systems. With the new agreement, ORF will use a total of three transponders at this orbital slot.

ORF will use the extra transponder for HD broadcasting of ORF Sport, ORF III as well as nine regional programmes that will expand ORF’s high-definition offer, according to SES.

“With regard to HDTV, ORF and ORS have been pioneers in Europe for many years. We are very pleased that we can soon broadcast the complete programme portfolio of ORF in HD quality via satellite. The number of German-speaking HD channels in Austria will therefore increase to about 90 channels. The large variety of our HD offer is one of the main reasons for our excellent market position in Austria,” said Wolfgang Elsäßer, SES’s vice president of sales for Central Western Europe.