UPC Austria will offer its digital HD subscribers a special HD feed of the Euro 2008 Football championship with ORF. Dutch cable operators plan a similar offer with the public broadcaster NOS. UPC Austria will supply the HD set-top boxes and public broadcaster ORF plans to simulcast a special HD version of its first channel ORF1, to be called ORF1 HD. The plan is to also broadcast other programmes in HD quality on the channel. ORF has chosen to transmit in 720p/50 MPEG4/AVC. In The Netherlands, the public broadcaster NOS is also likely to offer an HD version of the games to cable operators, including UPC and the Zesko companies. The total number of HD cable tuners is thought to be around 20,000.
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Arnhem-based Robert covers the Benelux, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as IPTV, web TV, connected TV and OTT. Email Robert at rbriel@broadbandtvnews.com.