Magio, an IPTV service serving Slovakia, is adding both a prime premium venue, HBO HD, as well as a second HD channel that usually does not require a premium fee, Discovery HD. Yet the Discovery channel also will require a separate fee, similar to HBO’s, after a three-month grace period.
HBO HD becomes part of Magio’s Premium 2 (and Premium 1+2) service. The IPTV provider is operated by a telco, T-Com, and its HD service comes as part of a package (similar to North America’s so-called double- and triple-play deals) that also includes high-speed broadband (up to 80 MB). The double-play service from T-Com started on July 1.
According to the latest research data from GfK, about half of all Slovak homes receive cable, DBS or IPTV services (most of the other half is terrestrial), and dwellings with HD-ready sets in the Slovak Republic are now closing in on 20 percent.
