How to receive free HbbTV channels on Hotbird Wedotv satellite

This month, 30 free channels linked to Wedotv are scheduled to appear on satellite. Among them are Wedo Movies, Wedo Big Stories and Wedo Sports. The channels will be accompanied by the HbbTV app. Thus, viewers with TVs connected to the Internet will be able to use video-on-demand content presented in the AVoD model, that is, for free and with advertising.

Express canals will also reach small towns

Thanks to satellite broadcasting, Wedotv can promote its broadcast offer. In addition, the company’s channels will reach small towns where there is a problem with fast and unlimited Internet connection. – Thanks to our cooperation with Eutelsat, we are creating a new distribution area for FAST channels. Extending the existing OTT service to traditional distribution platforms via HbbTV technology is a certain development for linear television. Ultimately, Wedotv’s goal is to provide consumers with easy access to content, no matter where they are or what device they are using. – said Philipp Rotermund, CEO of Wedotv.

In Italy, Hot Bird satellites are the most popular. They are used by, among others: RAI, Mediaset, Sky Italia and several regional channels. – We are pleased to welcome Wedotv, our first FAST platform, to our main orbital site. The launch of Wedotv on Hotbird highlights the importance of satellite in delivering new types of content to audiences wherever they are. By expanding its strategy and integrating satellite distribution into its business model, Wedotv can now reach audiences in homes beyond the reach of digital terrestrial television or high-speed Internet – said Lawrence Delpy, CEO of Eutelsat’s Video Business Unit.

Fast channels from our country only in live broadcast

In Poland, FAST channels are new and uncommon. The streaming service Rakuten TV offers most of these stations in Polish. Top Movies Polska and Bjgtjme broadcast films of various genres, while Grjngo focuses on Western films. In contrast, in Moconomy you can see documents about economics. Pilot WP’s offer includes Kabaret TV and more recently also Patronite Podróże.

– Patronite Travel is a FAST channel created in collaboration with Patronite. We have involved creators to create a joint project thanks to which their materials gain a new life and independence from the algorithms of global technological platforms. We are constantly developing our services, and fast channels are one of the directions of this development. We plan to develop it based on cooperation with Telewizja WP, Patronite website and external partners – says Wirtualnemedia.pl Konrad Kubić, Head of Growth and Marketing Pilot WP. Streaming service Sweet.tv is also planning to launch FAST channels. Currently, none of these stations are available on satellite, but this may change in the future.

Polish digital platforms are already new satellites

A few days ago, Eutelsat completed the migration of transponders to the new Hot Bird 13F and Hot Bird 13G satellites. The changes included, among others: the digital platforms Polsat Box and Canal+. They replace Hot Bird 13B, Hot Bird 13C and Hot Bird 13E, which have been in orbit for nearly 15 years, so their service life is coming to an end. The transition to the new satellites took place in two stages – at the end of May and the beginning of September. This process may have caused short-term reception problems. Some users claim that after changing the satellite, their image began to freeze. In such situations, Polsat Box technical support recommends correcting the antenna, azimuth and converter settings.

Changing the satellite is very beneficial for the residents of central and eastern Poland, because in their case the signal quality improves even more. Depending on the transceiver, this is a signal increase of 2-3 dB. In western Poland, there is also a noticeable increase in quality, but not in all transceivers. If there is a poorly placed antenna or precipitation, the signal after relaying should be more stable. Poland, which has exported set-top boxes to Spain, Portugal or Middle Eastern countries, for example, may face problems. There, receiving some stations may be difficult or impossible.

Apart from Polish platforms, the 13°E orbital position is used by Capellio (Switzerland), Nova (Greece), Base TV (France) and Sky Italia (Italy). Both satellites broadcast more than 600 pay TV channels and 300 free-to-air channels. 500 stations broadcast in HD or UHD (4K). Hot Bird satellites reach 160 million households in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. In Europe alone, there are 130 million homes.