Hi Urfriend

You need to understand the basics of DTH, the signal from EPL needs to be encrypted for HITV then multiplexed to integrate with their platform, maybe that is why they mess up the transmissions?

By the way where did Eutelsat find another transponder for HITV when all had been taken?

It seems strange to me that HITV have increased by 50,000 subscribers since your last blog, yet the there is no EPL football, you can't tell me these subscribers have come on board because of the quality line up of HITV channels?

See that DAAR is starting DTH transmissions in two weeks, 40 channels!

By the way you will know when we arrive.

Hi Urfriend
As I have been saying HITV has only one transponder and can only run max 15 channels even less if you run the EPL, unless you are happy degrading pictures.
So HITV subcribers will have to wait 12 months for any new channels.

Hi Urfriend

It looks suspicious to me as they are trying to raise money through their offering and from what I hear it is not going as well as they wanted. I believe it was supposed to close on the 31st March but as far as I can see it is still open. If you read their last interview they mention in the last paragraph that it all depends on the outcome of their offering.

By the way I am not working with Daar.

Hi Urfriend

I am very pleased to see that HITV now has 125,000 subscribers, I shall inform some of the content providers who will be very happy to receive payment for that amount of subscribers.
By the way if Daar is using MPEG4 they can put 40 channels easily on 2 transponders.

Hi Urfriend
What are your thoughts about this:
Working basically with nine sub genres, DaarSat, the tentative trade name, has what is now called the foundation channels in DTH which include BBC, Al Jazeera, Fox News, National Geographic, MTV, Discovery and a host of others. DaarSat has lots of children programmes.
They claim to be having 40 channels at launch, although I would like to see Multichoices reaction if they show National Geographic and Discovery.

I also understand that HiTV has just offered way over the top (like they did for the EPL) for the Champions League. They must have money to burn. How many subs now, must be good otherwise how do you amortise these costs?

Hi Urfriend
Eutelsat said at MIPCOM that there are no more transponders on W4 available until next year, where is HITV getting theirs?

Hi Urfriend
Thanks for the info.

Hi Guys
Does anyone know where I can get a list of approved DSTV satellite installers in Nigeria.
Thanks

Hi Urfriend

I think you have the wrong terminology HITV uses transponders from Eutelsat, not frequencies. How many do HITV have at the moment, that's all I want to know. As I said there is only one more transponder available on Eutelsat W4 when that is gone there are no more until next year, even if HITV wants to have more channels. It is up to HITV to make the demand for more channels because it is this that will drive the Platform and bring in more subscribers. The increases per month you were mentioning in the last two months they must be at least 100,000 by now!

Our project is progressing according to plan.

Hi Urfriend
Thanks for clarifying the card issue.

I am asking a simple question, how many transponders will HITV have by the year end, surely they should know?

Thanks Bluehorizo
We call the DTH cards CA (Conditional Access) Cards

Hi Urfriend
I am interested to know how can Hitv, DSTV and GTV all get a transponder each on Eutelsat W4 when there is only one free?javascript:void(0);
Undecided

Urfriend
These seem like desperate times to me, what are HiTV subscribers going to watch when the EPL finishes in May?

Has HITV taken a complete transponder, i.e. do they now have two? There was only one free one on W4 and everybody seems to be claiming they have it.

What do mean "as at last week they were testing the rechange cards", what are "rechange" cards?

Hi

Can of you out there can let me know the contact details of good installers of DTH (90cm dish)? I need them throughout Nigeria?
Thanks

Hi urfriend
I will let you know nearer the time

Hi yanmon
Let me have your email address, can't promise anything very soon but will keep you on file.

Hi Urfriend
What would you think?
You will just have to wait and see.

Hi Urfriend
All I can say is that it is a foreign company that really knows the business.

Hi urfriend

Call +23321816081 GBS in Ghana and give them an address in Ghana. I am sure you will have someone that can bring you a box from Ghana (or even Cotonou).

I cannot mention at the moment about the DTH, once it comes official I will tell you more about it.

Hi Enigma

You are incorrect, GTV have no content rights to transmit into Nigeria for any of their programs. If the Content providers were aware GTV were selling boxes into Nigeria they could close down GTV. This is to protect the DTH operators such as HITV in Nigeria.

Some of these rights are held by HITV, such as the EPL, HITV paid a lot of money to have the EPL main rights for Nigeria. GTV have these same rights for all of Africa apart from Nigeria and South Africa. Even though GTV use W4 and beam EPL directly over Nigeria they are not allowed to sell into Nigeria. There is normally a geophysical lockout and if a Nigerian address is used then the programs will not be shown. That is why a Ghanaian GTV box will work in Nigeria as the satellite thinks the box is still in Ghana.

Hi urfriend
Thanks for the concern, everything is just great, I have been assisting on a new project that should be up and running in West Africa in the next few months.
I have been keeping up to date with all the blogs and just checking out how DTH life is progressing in Nigeria.

By the way the easiest way to get a GTV box is to get someone that is coming from Ghana to buy you one with a card and just plug it in, as you know it is the same satellite position as HITV. Not supposed to do it but who can tell.

quote author=urfriend link=topic=7715.msg2018312#msg2018312 date=1204566863]
hi,please does anyone have for sale gtv/gbc decorder and smart card in nigeria.i mean the gtv on eutelsat w4 12092 H 27500.please do reply soon.thanks
[quote][/quote]

Hi urfriend

Why does an employee of HITV want to illegally watch GTV in Nigeria?

@Raahym

On Trace TV, you should verify my comments that is all I am saying.

My long posts are to give background to why decisions are made outside of Nigeria because HITV doesn't seem to grasp the real world but come to think of it why should I waste my time as you guys seem know it all.

@urfriend @Raahym

I think you should both understand something basic in this business. Content providers only love making money, they don't care if it is with HITV or Multichoice as long as they make plenty of it and I can assure you they do.
Nigeria is about the only country that Content providers insist that at least one years money is paid up front, why? because of the money they have lost in failed DTH's in NIgeria. This is a great burden that companies like HITV have to pay upfront to show Content. The problem arises with Content providers when HITV says that it will have 500,000 in year one, great say the content providers that will be 10 cents per sub per month $600,000 upfront.

The exclusivity argument is valid I personally feel that no Content should be exclusive but you take your own case the EPL HITV has the exclusive Nigerian rights and HITV have paid dearly for them.
HITV knocks Multichoice for exclusivity but they are doing it themselves.

urfriend, you mention that "Discovery,nat. geo.,cnn,etc will be given to all operators" nothing will be given.
Take this example, Multichoice has 2 million subs in Africa and pays, as a theorectical example, Discovery say charges 20 cents per sub per month. That means that Multichoice will pay Discovery for exclusive rights $400,000 per month, HITV comes along and says Discovery is no longer exclusive and I want to out it on the Platform at 20 cents per sub like Multichoice.
Taking your figures (70,000 subs) HITV would have to pay Discovery $14,000 per month. Multichoice then turns around to Discovery (that by the way, is run in SA by an ex Multichoice employee) and says "if we are non exclusive we will pay you only 10 cents per subscriber" i.e. $200,000 a month.

In this case Discovery would only be getting an income of $214,000. OK they would get an income from MYAFRICA and GTV but Multichoice would always play it to make sure that Discovery would get less by going with others that staying with them.
Discovery will say that it is non exclusive but it still retains the right to say whether it will sell its programmes to a third party (say HITV) or not. Bean counters run companies like Discovery and it is all about profit and you do not have to be a rocket scientist to know what they would choose.

I will revert next week on the Trace TV issue, after I dig out some information for you.

Hi Urfriend

I love your optimism, your boss says 500,000 by the year end and it took Multichoice 15 years to get to390,000. What magical box are you going to get subscribers to your platform, not what you are now offering? I could believe Multichoice could get that with their $2.50 package.

As far as I know HITV has one transponder on W4 and according to Eutelsat the maximum channels on MPEG2 16, there are no other transponders available. The last four were taken by HITV, GTV, Trend & DAAR.

When you use sport it eats up extra bandwidth and you will be lucky to get 13, how the heck can you get another 7 channels. HITV will get a degradation of signal across the board when you show a lot of sport.

Are you sure that it is not exclusive to Multichoice, I assume HITV have a signed contract with Trace TV?

I thought that Trace TV was exclusive to HITV, I understand that it is on Multichoice today, what's the story?

@urfriend

Appreciate all your work on lyngsat, it is a reference point to many people.

Where is HITV going to go for another transponder because Eutlesat W4 is full, you cannot squeeze many more channels on your one transponder can you?

Hi urfriend

The blog was to tell Nigeria that the phoenix Trend TV, had arisen and another Nigerian platform had launched and it is free to air, with Daar in April it will make an interesting scenario.

Would you like to take bets on 500,000 by the year end as mentioned in the press by dekin!!!

Check out this website it shows you all the channels that are on Eutelsat W4 and beaming down on to Nigeria.
You are able to see what channels with the different platform names i.e. HITV, Multichoice, Trend and GTV.

http://www.lyngsat.com/36east.html

Just to let you guys know that Trend TV are up and running on W4 and it is all free to air (5 channels at last count), same as DSTV and HITV, I think they wanted to spoil HITV's birthday!

Hi urfriend

You telling me that since the 30th Jan (50,000, your words) HITV have amassed another 20,000 + subscribers, that will go into the Guinness Book of Records.