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Eurosport HD floats to France on CanalSat
Since launching back in May, Eurosport HD has found its way onto quite a few European carriers. Now, it can safely say it has found a home in France, as CanalSat has decided it best for this network to join TF1, France 2, Arte, Canal+ and M6 as the available high-definition options. We're told that the channel will provide some 2,000 hours of HD content to French viewers over the next year, and it seems things are already underway. Watch out, Europe -- France is quickly becoming to one the follow in the HD realm.
MTVNHD headed to France via SES ASTRA
MTVNHD -- the international variant of MHD Palladia -- promised to continue its quest for European domination, and France is next to go, but not on Numericable. Hooking up with SES ASTRA's satellite capacity, the network's bringing music and children's programming to HD CanalSat subscribers at some unspecified future date. so it could be today, tomorrow, next week or later but yes, France, you will soon be ignoring the same extremely limited content loop others have been experiencing for some time now.
+Le Cube HD DVR brings a touch of class to Canal+
Apparently not happy with standard DVR offerings, Pace France delivered the slick +Le Cube exclusively for Canal+ and CANALSAT subscribers this month. Canal+'s first internal hard drive-packing HD DVR coming with 320GB of storage, Ethernet for downloading VOD and a 128 x 128 exterior LCD that senses if the unit is standing up or lying down and adjusts accordingly. Promising near-silent operation, multiroom streaming, catch up service and recommendations make sure it's got substance to go with style as Canal+ rolls out new offerings. Like the time it takes to change channels, we're not sure if the design of a STB is enough to change services for, but peep our gallery and imagine how that'd look next to your Armani HDTV.%Gallery-38035%
Disney Cinemagic HD launches in France
In the race for "firsts", Disney claimed victory in the "children and family HDTV channel in a French market" category this past weekend. Disney Cinemagic HD went live Friday evening in France and other French-speaking territories with an exclusive broadcast of Brother Bear 2. As you might guess from the channel's name, it will focus on HD movie offerings. The channel is carried by Canalsat in France and has programming from 6AM - 1AM, which seems like it's definitely in the "way past your bedtime" zone to us. In a nod to the global marketplace we live in, the channel is available to those who sign up for the HD service plus the Family Pack; vive la tiered subscription packages![Via HDTV UK]
Welcome to the party Europe, first major HDTV broadcast
Take your shoes off though, I just put in new carpet. And the first thing broadcast in HD? Why Tom Cruise of course, while I don't agree with their choice of Minority Report (I'm a Top Gun/Days of Thunder guy), it does make a great show in high definition what with the CG and blowing stuff up.Germany's ProSiebenSat.1 will be the first to broadcast nationally on Sunday, although a regional cable channel apparently started showing science programs on Tuesday (don't they know? Tom Cruise has done the scientific research). Rival German broadcaster Premier will launch its own HDTV transmissions on December 3. BskyB, CanalSat and Ski Italia have all promised to have their high definition ready for next years World Cup, which will be a showcase for the technology in Europe.
