BellSouth has signed a deal with SES Americom to test the delivery of Internet Protocol television via a centralized satellite distribution system.

SES will provide Bellsouth with video aggregation, encoding, monitoring and transport in the form of its IP-Prime distribution system. SES will provide the service from its broadcast hub in Vernon Valley, N.J.

The arrangement will allow BellSouth to bundle and distribute several hundred standard and hi-def channels, as well as voice-over-IP and broadband services over the AMC-9 bird. BellSouth is also doing IPTV delivery trials with Microsoft; the SES delivered content is said to be plug-and-play compatible with multiple platforms, including Microsoft IPTV middleware.