PR/14/09

EUTELSAT PARTICIPATES IN LIVE SATELLITE-DELIVERED
3D-HD DEMONSTRATIONS

Full 3D via satellite broadcasting chain shown at Sat Expo in Rome

Paris, Rome, 19 March, 2009

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) is taking part in a full satellite demonstration in Europe of the end-to-end 3D broadcasting chain at the Sat Expo Europe 2009 international conference and exhibition in Rome from 19-21 March. Using capacity on Eutelsat’s EUROBIRD™ 3 satellite, a live music performance will be filmed, transmitted and projected in stereo 3D-HD on a cinema screen and on prototype models of stereo 3D-HD television sets.

Organised by Eutelsat, OpenSky and dBW, the demonstration will reproduce in full the conditions of a live 3D event. The three-dimensional shooting and production is managed by dBW, a specialist production company based in Rome, while OpenSky, which specialises in transmitting digital content via satellite will manage the encoding, decoding and projection. The three companies have also agreed to combine their resources and expertise in order to be able to provide end-to-end 3D services in Europe, from filming to playout.

The full-scale demonstration in Rome of a 3D out-of-home viewing experience is a prelude to a radically new way of experiencing cinema and television content. In addition to enabling an audience to share the same level of sensation as in a theatre for a live performance, stereo 3D-HD has the potential to enrich the entertainment offer in cinemas and theatres and transform them into innovative multimedia entertainment centres delivering premium content.

The demonstration in Rome marks a new step in Eutelsat’s participation in the emerging market for 3D transmissions. Satellite capacity at the Group’s 9 degrees East position occupied by the EUROBIRD™ 9A satellite has been transmitting a test 3D channel over the last three months as a testbed to analyse the performance of screens, encoders and decoders, and to gather experience on the use of 3D content in the home and public locations.

Commenting on the demonstration in Rome, Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO said: “This new step towards 3D broadcasting continues Eutelsat’s longstanding commitment to innovation that opens satellites to a new generation of applications. Early and close collaboration between all actors in the broadcasting chain will be a key success factor for this new broadcasting revolution and we are very pleased to be taking part in the first tests and end-to-end demonstrations in Europe”.

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 26 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 31 December 2008, Eutelsat’s satellites were broadcasting more than 3,200 television channels and 1,100 radio stations. Almost 1,100 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD™ video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group’s satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through its teleport in Italy that serves enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 591 commercial, technical and operational experts from 27 countries.

www.eutelsat.com