Press Release: 06th March , 2007
ARABSAT and LUXE.tv Launch
First High Definition TV Channel
in MENA
For the first time, Middle-East viewers can now enjoy the beauties of luxury lifestyle at home with the stunning picture quality of High Definition TV thanks to new LUXE.tv-HD channel on Arabsat BADR-4 satellite @ 26°East.
Dubai, March 6, 2007 - On the occasion of the contract signature on the ARABSAT stand today at the CabSat show in Dubai, Mr. Jean STOCK, Executive Chairman of LUXE.tv, and Mr. Khalid BALKHEYOUR, Chief Executive Officer and President of ARABSAT (Arab Satellite Communications Organization), announced the official launch of "LUXE.tv HD", the very first High Definition TV channel to be broadcasted over the Middle-East & North-Africa region. The channel is broadcasted on Badr-4, Arabsat's newest satellite at its 26°E Direct-to-Home "Hot-Spot".
LUXE.tv is the new -- and first -- international network exclusively dedicated to the luxury world in its entire scope. With 100% original premium content, LUXE.tv opens the doors to a disruptive concept in digital television. Fully produced in High Definition, and broadcast both in High and Standard Definition, LUXE.tv provides high-end coverage of the fascinating diversity of the world of luxury by covering 6 main areas of the luxury lifestyle: Real Estate & Home Design, Sports & Leisure, Hotels & Gastronomy, Beauty & Fashion, Cars & Yachting, and Jewelry & Watches. Viewers are taken on a journey to discover all aspects of the world of luxury in the comfort of their homes with the very best of viewing technology. All content production is being shot in HD in the world's top 20 luxury capital cities. Available in French, English and German, throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, via 5 satellites, LUXE.tv has an immediate direct access to 250+ million viewers worldwide."
"The LUXE.tv team is delighted to be the first channel to provide the 130 million Middle East and North Africa viewers of Arabsat BADR-4 with the amazing beauty and comfort of High Definition pictures. We believe that the parallel broadcast of LUXE.tv in Standard Definition ["SD"] is an excellent tool to actively promote the new HD standard. It was very important for LUXE.tv to be broadcasted in the Middle-East where amateurs appreciating the luxury lifestyle are so many", commented Jean STOCK, Executive Chairman of LUXE.tv.
Mr. Khalid BALKHEYOUR, Arabsat President & CEO, warmly welcomed the launch of the LUXE.tv set of programs, both in High Definition and Standard Definition, as part of the Arabsat rapidly expanding offering of channels and technologies, wishing them every success.
"We are very proud to have been selected for broadcasting LUXE.tv in High Definition over the whole Arab world via BADR-4, our brand new state-of-the-art satellite launched as recently as end of last year, and we feel truly honored by their trust in our system and confidence in the extensive penetration of Arabsat's constellation of BADR satellites at our 26° East primary fast growing DTH neighborhood, the region's preferred "Hot Spot" for Direct-to-Home broadcasting", he declared.
“The arrival of LUXE.tv's High Definition channel constitutes a critical milestone in achieving Arabsat's strategy of introducing –and widely spreading-- the very latest TV technology across the entire MENA region, thus delivering on our strong commitment to help our customers succeed and steadily support their growth throughout the region as well as constantly stay at the forefront of high-end technological developments. We're convinced that the dual-broadcast approach of both SD and HD signals is definitely the way forward to rapidly motivate the region's viewers for switching over onto the stunning crispy picture quality and enjoyment of HD" he added.
"We are very impressed with LUXE.tv's technical investments, as well as by their ambitious strategy to broadcast in three different languages over two technical formats” he concluded.
Viewers may watch LUXE.tv by tuning to the following technical parameters:
Satellite: BADR-4 @ 26° East
High-Definition:
Frequency: 11,957 MHz
Polarization: Vertical
FEC: 3/4
Symbol Rate: 27,500 MS/s
Modulation: QPSK / DVB-S / MPEG-4
Standard-Definition:
Frequency: 12,073 MHz
Polarization: Vertical
FEC: 3/4
Symbol Rate: 27,500 MS/s
Modulation: QPSK / DVB-S / MPEG-2
About LUXE.tv:
LUXE.tv is the first worldwide network dedicated exclusively to the luxury world. Broadcasted in three languages – French, German and English-- both in High and Standard Definition. All contents are 100% HD and exclusively shot by LUXE.tv‘s teams around the world. LUXE.tv’s multi-broadcasting programming allow the viewer to enjoy LUXE.tv “à la carte” with thematic and geographic diversities. This programming targets two main audiences: viewers who dream about and are entertained by luxury and viewers who buy luxury goods on an occasional basis.
Jean Stock, a seasoned international TV executive, has conceived the LUXE.tv concept and is the Executive Chairman of the LUXE.tv network. Previously, he co-created 12 radio and television channels and was an instrumental part of M6 success in France; he was head of radio and television stations, plus production companies and advertising agencies in 8 different countries; he also was the chairman of the French speaking channels TV5 and CFI, and later Secretary General of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
More @ www.luxe.tv -- Contact:
§ Anne-Sophie ALBERT: +352 / 2487-9733 / asa@luxe.tv
§ Fax: +352 / 2487-9720
About ARABSAT:
Headquartered in Riyadh, KSA, with regional offices in Dubai, Cairo and Paris, and with its 30-year heritage of continuous operations backed by the 21 member countries of the Arab League, Arabsat offers the Arab World an unrivalled range of satellite-based communications services such as Direct-to-Home Television and Radio, Fix and Mobile Telephony Trunking, Internet and direct Broadband Access, as well as the provision of VSATs and other interactive data services that meet both current and emerging demands. Now ranked as the world's 9th largest Satellite Operator, Arabsat is committed to constantly expand its services in order to keep meeting the evolving needs of its customers. Its vision is to consolidate its long-standing leading regional position as the pioneer of satellite communications in the Arab world by delivering an unparalleled level of service in the MENA region, providing quality products, employing the most skilled individuals, and remaining at the forefront of new technologies. Arabsat is the only qualified organization in the Middle East North Africa with a fully integrated fleet of satellites operating on most frequency bands and encompassing within a single beam the whole region from Morocco to the Gulf, and a large part of sub-Saharan Africa as well as Central Asia.
More @ www.arabsat.com -- Contacts:
Arabic & English / Saad AL-TEHAIF : +966/(0)1-482-0000, ext. 252 / saadt@arabsat.com
French & English / Emmanuel HéBRARD : +966/(0)1-482-0000, ext. 274 / emmanuelh@arabsat.com