ORF 1 HD: Quality You Can See

Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 3, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.

ORF 1 HD has launched: today at exactly 9:00 a.m., Dr. Alexander Wrabetz, Director General of ORF, and Technical Director Peter Moosmann switched on the HD signal. ORF is therefore now also offering viewers the ORF 1 schedule in high-definition quality. The new service, available alongside all existing services, provides Austrian television households with high-quality pictures and sound in time for EURO 2008. ORF 1 HD is available via digital satellite (ASTRA, transponder 57) and on cable networks. “With the launch of ORF 1 HD, ORF is taking a pioneering role in the German-speaking region: as the first public-service broadcaster, we are transmitting HDTV as a regular service via ASTRA, giving our viewers even more quality,” said Dr. Alexander Wrabetz, Director General of ORF. “Alongside numerous feature films and series, the EURO 2008 matches are the first native-HD offering we are providing. The Olympic Games in Beijing in August will be a second highlight,” added Peter Moosmann, Technical Director of ORF. Full Schedule: ORF 1 HD ORF 1 HD broadcasts in high-definition quality 24 hours a day. Alongside native-HD offerings, such as every EURO 2008 match produced in HD, all programs available in SD are also upscaled. Consumers can therefore perceive a clear increase in quality across all ORF 1 programming. During EURO 2008, ORF will broadcast all 31 matches live in native HD, together with extensive additional information surrounding the games. The next highlight will be the Olympic Games in Beijing in August 2008, where ORF plans to make all events of interest to viewers—from beach volleyball and swimming to athletics—available in HD. Plans also include broadcasting further hit series such as “C.S.I. Miami” and “House,” and film highlights including “Walk the Line” and “Brokeback Mountain,” in native HD. In preparation for HD broadcasting, ORF converted the ORF 1 playout operation, two outside-broadcast vehicles, and control and editing facilities at the ORF center to HD. A mobile HD satellite uplink vehicle is also available. The popular ORF TELETEXT service is also transmitted via ORF 1 HD. An electronic program guide is available as well. Requirements for HDTV Households that already have an HD-ready or Full HD television set benefit particularly from the introduction of HD. According to specialist retailers, more than 600,000 such television sets were already present in Austrian households. To receive ORF 1 HD via digital satellite or digital cable, households need an HD-capable television or projector and an HD-capable cable or satellite receiver (set-top box) connected to the television through an appropriate HDMI connection. An ORF DIGITAL satellite card is also required for reception. Customers who already have this card can already receive ORF 1 HD. ORF 1 HD can also be received by Premiere customers who have activated ORF channels on their Premiere smartcard. Premiere customers with a Premiere HD package and activated ORF reception receive ORF 1 HD automatically. All consumers are advised to seek guidance from specialist retailers. Certification Provides Assurance: ORF HD Seal of Approval ORF offers manufacturers certification for their HDTV satellite receivers. Testing by TÜV Austria confirms that receiving devices are suitable for the Austrian market with regard to playback, decryption and HDCP copy protection. Consumers are strongly advised to look for the ORF HD seal of approval when purchasing an HD receiver. Several certified HD receivers are already available from retailers. Further certifications are in progress, so a broad selection of certified receivers is expected to become available shortly. Certified set-top boxes generally include the green ORF DIGITAL satellite card. The card can be registered online at http://digital.ORF.at. In addition, the ORF 1 HD channel is already preset, so a separate channel scan is not required.