"PROSIEBENSAT 1 PRODUKTION" and SES ASTRA with first HDTV/SDTV simulcast in commercial free-TV

"Pride - The Law of the Savannah", October 14th on ProSieben / HD and SD simultaneous broadcast via ASTRA 19.2° East

ProSiebenSat1 Produktion and SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris, Luxembourg and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges: SESG) are proud to announce a premiere in European commercial free-to-air television. On October 14th, ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion will, for the very first time, simultaneously broadcast a high-resolution HDTV (High Definition Television) signal in parallel with the traditional digital standard-resolution via ASTRA 19.2° East.

The ProSieben/BBC co-production "Pride - The Law of the Savannah" (a wildlife program about the adventures of a young lion) will be available to viewers equipped with appropriate receivers both via conventional standard-definition (SD) reception and, exclusively via ASTRA, in the new, crystal-clear HDTV standard.

With the significantly enhanced picture quality provided by HDTV, "Pride" can be viewed with much greater, true-to-life detail. The visual experience will be completed by Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, providing viewers for the first time ever with true cinema quality in the living room. Technically speaking, the broadcast will be simulcast in parallel to the regular SD signal, the film being played out in HDCAM SR (1080i/50 Hz) and delivered to an MPEG-2 HD encoder with a data rate of some 1.4 gigabits/s. The HD broadcast of Pride will be available via ASTRA Transponder No. 103 (12460 Mhz, H-polarisation, SR 27.500, FEC ¾.). An HD promo trailor of Pride will be available as of October 12th. The transponder capacity required for this HDTV premiere in commercial Free-TV is provided courtesy of SES ASTRA.

Dr. Martin Emele, Management Board Member and Head of Technologies, views the first HDTV broadcast of ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion as a milestone: "Gaining practical experience with HDTV is core to the mission of ProSiebenSat1 Produktion of applying future-prone technologies for practical, present-day purposes. There are still some question markss relating to HD production and broadcasting, but with "Pride" we show what is already possible today."

Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA, welcomes the HD initiative: "ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion has produced an HD trailer for 'Pride' which is broadcast as part of the ASTRA HDTV promotion channel and which has proved to be an eye-catcher notably at the recent IBC trade fair in Amsterdam. We are very pleased to be able to assist one of Germany's leading private broadcasting companies in testing HDTV and, based on current market trends, remain convinced that the successive transfer from standard resolution to HDTV will have the same impact on the television sector as the introduction of colour TV."

For further information please contact:

See also: www.hdtvforum.org

The ASTRA HDTV promotion channel is receivable via ASTRA transponder Nbr. 102, vertical polarisation, 12,4441 MHz, 27.5 Msymbols/s, FEC 3/4 using MPEG-2 MP@HL, 1080i, bitrate 19 Mb/s.

On "Pride - Das Gesetz der Savanne" [Pride - The Law of the Savannah]

"Pride - Das Gesetz der Savanne" is an epic and dramatic story, full of breath-taking wildlife scenes, amusing dialogue and stunning special effects. Director and Producer John Downer used a remote-controlled robot camera for unprecedented close-up shots of lions in wildlife.