Latest News

GERMAN MTV 2 TO END ENCRYPTION OF DIGITAL ASTRA FEED

By Staff Writer | June 6, 2001

      In a move that would end the somehow absurd situation of transmitting free-to-air to analogue DTH viewers but not to digital homes, MTV 2 – The Pop Channel, MTV’s sister channel which replaced the ailing VH-1 Germany on May 1, plans to drop the encryption of its digital feed on Astra (19.2 degrees East).

      Although Verena Adami, a spokeswoman of Munich-based MTV Networks Germany, confirmed the move by saying “yes, there are plans to transmit MTV2 Pop in digital”, she declined to reveal any further details. Moreover, she could not give a concrete date “because we first have to clarify some financial details”.

      While unconfirmed, Interspace believes that contracts signed with cable operators, among them Deutsche Telekom and PrimaCom, prescribe the encryption of MTV 2’s digital feed because it is available on their networks to digital viewers on a pay-TV basis. Since its launch, MTV 2 has been available free-to-air in analogue on Astra, transponder 15 (11.421 GHz H), and on cable networks using VH-1’s former capacity. The digital DTH signal within MTV’s package on transponder 118 (12.699 GHz V, SR 22.000, FEC 5/6) is encrypted in Cryptoworks, like VH-1 Germany used to be. According to industry sources, the digital encryption is likely to be dropped by September at the latest.