Mohammed said: “We are seeing a growing DTH market in the MENA region driven by the demand for HDTV and the launch of new content, bundles and platforms.

Today, the majority of TV channels are broadcast in SD.  Progressively broadcasters are making the transition to HD driven by consumer demand for compelling new HD content that can be viewed on larger displays.  

This cannot be achieved overnight but we are seeing all parts of the chain working well to develop solutions together.  

Broadcasters such as beIN Sports are responding to the demand by creating new content, recently launching a bouquet of 12 new HD entertainment and lifestyle channels; and a new Al Jazeera bouquet is currently transmitting Al Jazeera Arabic, English and Mubasher in HD.   

Satellite operators are providing new capacity at hotspot locations for satellite TV (such as Es'hail-2 in Q1 2017) to deliver the content.  And consumer goods manufacturers are providing ever more appealing end user equipment.

We will continue to see HD content and new compression technology providing opportunities for broadcasters. However, it is an evolution, not a revolution and the trend will continue with transition from SD to HDTV, then to 4K and super-HD and beyond.  And from a technology standpoint, changing from MPEG2 to MPEG4 and DVB to DVBS2.