Conax to secure Italian HD DTT service

Conax is supplying conditional access to Italy’s new HD DTT service operated by Europa 7.

The service, which launches today, is based on DVB-T2 and will provide eight HD channels on Italy’s DTT network. Conax will provide conditional access using chipset pairing, CEO Berit Svendsen said, adding that decoders would be available in retailers throughout Italy.

Europa 7’s service will compete with pay-DTT service Mediaset and DTH operator Sky Italia. The launch follows a lengthy legal battle by the broadcaster to obtain the required frequencies. Europa 7, which originally operated as a regional channel, obtained frequencies to broadcast nationally in 1997, but went out of business after those frequencies were taken over by Mediaset-owned Rete 4. The company was revived in 2008 when it acquired frequencies freed up by Rai Uno’s move to digital.

Separately, Svendsen said Conax would launch a new security solution at IBC this September to replace the current CAS 7 solution. “It is more scalable, features a better user interface and comes with software clients,” she said, adding that a customer had been piloting the new solution since January.

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