MidEast broadcasters plan HDTV roll out (page 2 of 2)

'When you introduce it you want to do it in an impactful way and give enough to the market to convince it that it makes sense purchase our box,' he said.

Despite the challenges of implementing HD in the region, Showtime believes HD is the wave of the future in broadcasting. 'Two to three years from now, the key for us will be how we provide on-demand and HD in a way that fulfills any home's wishes of wanting to see what they want, when they want, in the best quality.'

Du eyes 2009 rollout

UAE telco Du also says that it is rapidly moving forward with plans to offer an HD package.

The company recently spent $27m on upgrading its core fibre network and claims it can now deliver several HD channels through newly provided HD-compliant set-top-boxes.

The telco said that its first commercial HD launch will be in 2010 at the latest, but possibly as early as late 2009. In a statement, the company said: 'Our market research shows that there is demand for quality content in HD. In addition to subscription revenues, introducing HD channels will help us build customer loyalty.

'We believe that demand for HD content will be stronger when combined with the interactive experience that only Internet Protocol TV can provide to customers. This specifically applies to video-on-demand and catch-up TV, which allows customers to enjoy HD content at the time that best suits them. Du is already working to provide such services to its customers in the near future.'