DNA moves to harmonise Finnish DTT platforms

DNA-owned Finnish digital-terrestrial pay TV service PlusTV has made HD channels available to its subscribers, with viewers now able to use a single decoder and card to receive both PlusTV and DNA’s own digital-terrestrial pay channels.

Telco and media company DNA, which operates a number of channels over a separate DTT infrastructure in Finland, acquired PlusTV in September.

A software update has now enabled PlusTV customers to view all DTT HD services with their existing cards. The content of PlusTV’s and DNA Welho’s channel packages have also been harmonised and expanded, combining the channels on DNA’s own VHF network with the Digita UHF network on which PlusTV is available.

PlusTV viewers will now receive a range of new channels as part of their existing packages as well as access to a new PlusTV Mix HD package, allowing them to select eight channels from a choice of 20 comprising Animal Planet, C More First HD, C More Hits, Disney XD, MTV Fakta XL, MTV Max HD, MTV Sport 1 HD, National Geographic, Showtime and Silver.

PlusTV subscribers will also be able to view free-to-air channels Yle HD and MTV3 HD via DNA’s DTT network, while DNA Welho terrestrial network customers will be able to subscribe to MTV Total, MTV Total Sport and C More Film packages, previously sold only by PlusTV on DTT.

“Until now, terrestrial-network households have not been able to watch PlusTV and DNA pay TV channels using the same receiver. We are happy to be able to open an unprecedented channel selection to terrestrial-network homes. This is particularly good news to PlusTV customers, who have been waiting a long time for high-definition offering. And DNA’s terrestrial network subscribers will have a number of new channels, too,” said Mikko Saarentaus, director of television business at DNA.