The new terrestrial platform from RTL and Eutelsat Visavision will be called Viseo Plus when it starts on October 15 in the greater Stuttgart area with the encrypted RTL channels RTL, Vox, RTL II, Super RTL, RTL Crime and RTL Passion.
Broadcasts will be encrypted in Conax and use the MPEG-4 transmission standard. Receivers with embedded Conax and MPEG-4 reception will be available in the shops in the area for €99. Smart cards will be enabled for a viewing period of 12 months, after which a subscription fee of €2.99 a month will be payable for the two pay channels RTL Crime and RTL Passion in a package called Viseo Plus Extra. The three other RTL channels remain free-to-view.
In early December, Viseo Plus will also start in the cities of Leipzig and Halle in the eastern part of the country.
The news was first reported last February by Broadband TV News. Smart card distribution and handling will be done by Eutelsat Visavision.
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