Canal+ HD is the first HD channel to launch on the French DTT platform. The channel started broadcasting on August 9, just in time to cover the Beijing Olympics in HD quality. Following the games, the channel has now taken up regular HD broadcasts of its schedule.
Canal+ promises to broadcast an average of 32 hours a day in native HD including movies such as Spiderman 3 and TV series including Desperate Housewives. The broadcaster said it started to supply its viewers with HD compatible MPEG-4 HD receivers from the very start of its DTT broadcasts in 2005.
Canal+ will be followed by other broadcasters on the DTT platform. The Franco-German cultural channel Arte is set for an October 30 launch in HD. Already in September, the channel will transmit all its programming in 16:9 widescreen on all digital platforms. During October, France 2 will also start HD broadcasts, with M6 and TF1 to follow.