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While Belgacom and Telenet the viewer try to placate with digital television, keyt a third player in all silence at an own service. Only meanwhile TV Flanders the Flemish commercile stations on board has not, remains the real launch of digital television via the satellite out. The business hopes to have yet this year VMMa (Flemish commercial TV channel and Channel 2) and SBS (VT4 and VijfTV) on board.

Actual is TV Flanders now already in the market person present. He who seeks good, can buy by some special affairs the necessary equipment and - especially - the right smartcard. The satteliteprovider foresees a package with a dish antenna and Philips-receiver for 299 Euros, but who in that meditate has, can also on own an apparatus of someone else want to buy. In that case must there only a smartcard bought become, at which a monthly subscription of 8.95 Euros hangs.

Satellite television, strange and onbemind at the Belgians” Totally, ASTRA do not maintains, that the underlying satellite infrastructure and -services furnishes at TV Flanders. From figures of TNS Media will appeared that end 2005 already 350,000 Belgian keep house satellite looked, of which approximately the half via ASTRA. Because the satellite service little not-European stations offers, will it thus not - as general is accepted - only go round a large group of immigrants, that for instance Arabic or Turkish stations follow, says Sales Manager Broadcast of ASTRA Clenched wide field.

More notably is the claim that of the 350,000 Belgian keep house that via satellite Tv look, 220,000 that digital do. With which satellite television at the same time the largest digital television platform in Belgi is, beams wide field, yet for that TV Flanders marriage of start goes.

It is that 'underground' success of digital satellite television that TV Flanders hopeful votes. Officially the firm went went already in February of start, but actual the but a 'soft launch'. The large problem is has that the televisionprovider yet no agreement with the Flemish commercile stations. Level as that there is, comes the real launch, affirms PR-manager Ilse Lambrights. The radio and television stations of the Flemish Radio and Television its source already present.

The relative complexity and ignorance of satellite television in Flanders its nice obstacles that the large breaks bother can. A dish antenna put in asks a certain skilfulness or the intervention of a specialist, and in any case more work is is then generally necessary for television via the cable. A struikelblok is perhaps also that TV Flanders self single positioneert as an provider. The consumer, that the necessary hardware seeks and installation, is refered to a local contact. For the consumer that normally is such affairs inpull with Telenet or Belgacom finished to act, is that perhaps a step too much.