Luxembourg satellite operator SES confirms the number of channels broadcasting in MPEG4 and HEVC continues to grow.
Financial results from SES, who operate the Astra 2E, 2F and 2G satellites that are used by Sky UK/ROI and Freesat, confirm more broadcasters are making the switch to the more bandwidth-efficient codecs.
MPEG4 is widely used for HD services, while HEVC is favourite for UHD, but can be used for HD, allowing more HD services to fit on a transponder.
By the end of 2022, SES delivered over 8,000 channels on its satellites worldwide. 73% of those channels were broadcast in MPEG4 (up from 71% of all channels carried in 2021). 7% of channels on its satellites were broadcast in HEVC (up from 5% in 2021).
MPEG4 is increasingly also used to broadcast standard definition (SD) channels. However, SD satellite channels serving the UK and Ireland aren’t able to make the switch to MPEG4 as older Sky receivers don’t support MPEG4. In other countries where Sky operators, older SD-only boxes have already been made redundant.
New satellites
SES also confirmed new satellites Astra 1P and 1Q are still on their way to launching next year. They will replace aging satellites at 19.2E. There’s been no word on any replacements for Astra 2E, 2F or 2G, which serve the UK and Ireland. They reach the end of their initial 15 year lifespan between 2026-2028. It’s already known that current carriage agreements with Sky UK are due to expire in this time period.
Iain Hatton