Etisalat launches high definition TV service

Etisalat announced on Tuesday the launch of its high definition (HD) television service for UAE viewers.

E-vision, Etisalat’s cable service, will initially offer five channels in HD; Abu Dhabi TV, Luxe, Fashion TV, Showtime and Al Jazeera Sports.

Humaid Rashid Sahoo, E-Vision CEO, said the launch was a logical progression for the firm as he anticipated UAE HD sales to soon surpass standard definition sales.

“This milestone is a clear indication of our vision to be a pioneer in offering the most innovative services to our customers,” he said.

“With HD Television sales now surpassing standard definition TV sales according to global indicators, this move is clearly in line with what our customers are asking for.”

E-Vision reaches about 70 per cent of UAE households and accounts for more than half the country’s pay-TV subscriptions with more than one million viewers.

The company’s HD service will be available to customers through a new set top box and costs a monthly fee of AED30 on top of normal cable bills. The set top box will cost an additional AED999.

Meanwhile, Showtime recently launched its own HD channel, which will air movies, TV shows and Premier League football for the coming season.

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