SBT To Cancel Its DTH By Conflict With Parabolics

Brazilian Television System (SBT), a FTA channel in that country, cancelled its DTH without warning subscribers who tune it there. The reasons for the decision could be because of  a conflict between the channel and the equipment manufacturing companies to get an extra money to load the network programming grid in them.

Currently, only those subscribers with analog receivers are allowed to access to SBT programming with SD quality. For this reason, SBT evaluates incorporating SAT HD system, created by Globo. For this, subscribers must acquire an antenna kit (which includes the satellite dish and a digital receiver). Upon buying it, they will receive an HD Globo access card for the system activation, in order to access later to SBT programming in HD.

To produce compatible devices with the system, manufacturers need to have a Globo license. The rest of Brazilian channels, including Rede TV, Band, Record TV and SBT have no guaranteed financial return for loading their HD signals into digital receivers.―NexTV News