YahLive to offer DMI’s channels in high definition

Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) and YahLive, the UAE-based satellite operator, have announced a strategic partnership, which will see six of DMI’s channels delivered in High definition (HD) exclusively through YahLive’s satellite service.

The exclusive partnership means that viewers will be able to access DMI’s leading channels: Dubai TV; Sama Dubai; Dubai One; Noor Dubai, and Dubai Sport channels, in HD across The Middle East and North Africa. The channels will be available on YahLive, which broadcasts at 52.5ºE, before the end of 2011.

Abdul Rehman Al Ali, head of the Engineering Department and Information Technology at DMI, said: “This partnership comes as part our commitment to offer our audience the highest quality by implementing the best international standards, and to strengthening our success in positioning DMI in the media industry, to deliver media content, that represent creative and meaningful television, while respecting social, cultural, and the Arab family values.”

Mohamed Youssif, CEO of YahLive, said: “Our exclusive partnership with DMI is another significant milestone in the development of YahLive as we continue offering our outstanding TV broadcasting services. I am delighted that DMI has joined forces with us to extend the audience reach of its HD channels. We will offer DMI with satellite based broadcast solutions that will bring highly targeted, reliable, effective coverage and high definition TV. YahLive will also have a dedicated service team to respond to changing requirements.”

“The growing demand for HD TV programming by the region’s viewers means that the industry is at a tipping point and broadcasters know that they need to deliver their content to audiences in HD or be left behind. However, to broadcast in HD requires approximately three to four times more satellite capacity than standard definition, which means that most satellite carriers cannot offer the sufficient capacity. This is not an issue for YahLive as we have made a business decision to only broadcast in HD quality and as we were only launched in 2011 we can, for the time being at least, offer broadcasters this capacity at affordable rates; this is what makes YahLive’s proposition so compelling,” concluded Mohamed Youssif.

YahLive has benefited from the shared knowledge and experience of the satellite operator SES that operates 49 Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform across the globe, carrying nearly 6,000 TV channels, out of which more than 1000 are HD.    YahLive is a partnership company with Yahsat, the United Arab Emirates-based satellite communications company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company, and the global satellite operator SES.