High definition television comes to Poland

Poland’s private broadcaster, the ITI group, is launching a high definition television platform in October. Currently Poland has two digital commercial TV platforms. Analysts wonder if there is room for yet another one.

The new high definition TV digital platform will simply be known as “N”. Polish commercial broadcaster the ITI group plans to launch the new HDTV platform next month. Artur Budzieszewski program director of Platform N says that the platform will offer a wide selection of film channels, on demand movies as well as sports in high definition..

'We can be proud, because we have something to everyone’s taste, the best of the market has to offer and more. We have lined up a package of new channels. It’s an offer which is a novelty in terms of format and content.’

On offer are channels for the entire family, including a channelfor toddlers. Currently Poland has two commercial digital platforms. Cyfra Plus offering Canal + and HBO prime movie channels, and Polsat. Both platforms offer several packages which have over 100 channels. Poland’s public broadcaster TVP plans on launching its own platform soon. Boguslaw Chrabota from Polsat says that, with tiny exceptions, “N” will offer the same channels which are already available in Poland.

'TVN’s offer is 50% of what we have, So I think that they need several years to be ready to compete with us.’

Broadcast analyst Stanislaw Piatek thinks that the time is ripe for a new offer. He does believe, however, that there is potential demand for high definition TV in Poland but, a varied new selection of channels are equally important.

‘I think there is some room for such offerings. Certainly they have to add something in terms of programming, completely new programmes to the market. Will it be enough, to attract the viewers, this is the big question.’

So far roughly 2 million Poles have subscribed to the other digital platform run by Polsat and Cyfra +. Analysts think that there’s enough ordinary Polish families, who only non have access to terrestrial TV, to form ‘N’s’ new subscriber base.
Source: By Bogdan Zaryn, polskieradio.pl