TV Cidade announced Tuesday, December 10, the conclusion of a digital cable trial conducted in September-October, involving 100 subscribers in the city of Recife, Pernambuco. The lineup comprised 65 TV channels and 40 audio channels offering mainly music, as well as six ?adult content? channels. An electronic guide was provided by TV Guide. The programming was packaged by Digital Latin America (DLA), which like TV Cidade is part-owned by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst. The equipment was supplied by Motorola, also a shareholder in DLA. According to TV Cidade, 91 out of the hundred subscribers said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of service. Recife was chosen because TV Cidade doesn?t carry Net Brasil programming there. DLA packaged the programming abroad so the trial didn?t include any Brazilian or localized content. Definitive introduction of a digital service depends on a business model that will require financing, currently unavailable, and anyway can?t be implemented until the Brazilian Government chooses a standard for broadcast digital TV.
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