SelecTV, the French Video on Demand service planned for the country’s digital terrestrial network, will launch in September on satellite, several months before the start on DTT. The terrestrial launch is planned “before the end of the year.”
The French media authority CSA awarded the licence for the terrestrial VOD service to SelecTV, a subsidiary of TV Num, a reseller of premium digital terrestrial channels. The company has now released details of the new service.
SelecTV will first launch on satellite, the Eutelsat Atlantic Bird 3, which also houses the Fransat service – one of the two “gap filler” services for the digital terrestrial network serving households out of reach of terrestrial transmitters. Early this year, Fransat said it shipped 800,000 receivers.
The VOD service comprises of two different offers. Viewers can buy a monthly subscription, which gives access to programmes including TV series and documentaries, but also “Disney avant premiere'”, Eurosport and Game One programming.
SelecTV also promises to offer 320 movies per year, of which 70 are permanently available with six new titles every week. The movies become available four months after theatrical release and can be seen in either SD or HD – with some 3D titles available from 2012. No pricing details have been released.
