Turkish satellite operator Türksat has announced it will phase out all standard definition (SD) broadcasts on its 42 degrees East position, requiring all channels to broadcast in HD/MPEG-4.
The move by Türksat means many current SD satellite receivers will become obsolete, but Turkish satellite industry association TUYAD said there will be a 20% discount when customers replace their current tuner with a new compatible receiver. It is estimated that around 40% of the outstanding receivers are suitable for SD only.
“Our country will have a new transformation with the MPEG-4 format HD broadcasting technology of Türksat and all SD channels that will broadcast standard definition soon will start broadcasting in HD. With our member firms we will raise awareness of the new HD broadcasts and offer a 20 percent discount for everyone,” said TUYAD chairman Hayrettin Özaydin.
“We anticipate HD conversion on TV broadcasts will generate a volume of $2.7 billion. So 2018 will be a year in which the sector will be active.”
