The Flemish general interest channel VTM launched its HDTV broadcasts on Friday (March 31) with the season finale of the popular talent contest Idols, followed by the Celebrity improv show Godzijdank.
Later during the weekend the line-up featured De Foute Quiz and 101 Vragen Aan. The upcoming Schlager Festival will meanwhile be televised in HD in April, and VTM’s daily soap series Familie will be available in the format from May 28.
Initially, the shows are being distributed on the In.Di digital cable platform. The operator consortium Interkabel will meanwhile launch its HDTV service on April 10, so the first VTM HD-cast will only be available to a small number of participants in a HD trial and through instore demos.
The VTM HD channel will be available for free, while a bouquet composed of EXQI, HD1 and National Geographic will cost €4.95 a month. The two Kinepolis HD movies channels will meanwhile cost €19.95 a month.
The basic HD box will be available for €229, with a €99 discount for current In.Di subscribers. The HD PVR (250GB) available from mid-May will be priced at €369, with existing digital subscribers being offered a discount of €99.