Tricolor TV plans to upgrade all subs to HD

Russian pay TV provider Tricolor TV plans to swap out set-top boxes not capable of receiving its HD services for HD-capable devices over the next two to two-and-a-half years, according to local reports.

Commercial director Sergei Stavropoltsy told the Intercom Evolutoin 2013 conference in St Petersburg that about seven million of Tricolor TV’s 13 million subscribers currently could not receive HD services.

Stavropoltsy said that the exchange of boxes prompted users to sign up for additional services, leading to higher ARPU.

The company has already piloted an exchange programme in the Kaliningrad region, where its set-top boxes are manufactured by GS Group.

Stavropoltsy said that the pilot had indicated that the swap-out could be achieved in the next two to two-and-a-half years.