Jon Romm, president of Intelsat‘s Media and Entertainment Business Unit, believes the progress of high-definition TV (HDTV) in North America will stimulate other markets around the world. Romm told Satellite Today, “HD is definitely moving faster in North America but it has a knock-on effect. If the transmission provider can get out in front and push the encoder to the origination location, then HD television is going to take off globally. Once you originate HD, then it changes the formula for what transmission providers are providing.”

He continues, “If we continue to sit back and stay comfortable with providing contribution in SD because we don’t push the encoder out to the forefront and all we do is accept unconverted HD television, it is going to stagnate this as a whole.”

An in-depth interview with Romm can be found in the Oct. 18 issue of Satellite News. For more information about subscribing to Access Intelligence’s satellite newsletters, check out our Web site at https://www.satellitetoday.com