The ESA-Eutelsat developed Skyplex payload on Hot Bird 4 is an example of how satellite technologies are adapting to the digital broadcasting environment. Direct uplinking from a production facility to a satellite eliminates the use of terrestrial master stations; Skyplex puts this objective into reality.
It is possible for a production facility to transmit its programmes as a digital stream. The Skyplex processor onboard Hotboard 4 receives these low-rate sources and re-combines them into a single, high-rate multi-channel digital video broadcast signal transmitted directly to viewers' homes.
Skyplex payloads are mounted on Eutelsat's Hot Bird 4 and Hot Bird 5 satellites, due to be launched in late February and Summer 1998 respectively. Second-generation Skyplex processors, capable of handling the different kinds of data found in advanced multimedia applications and able to provide multi-beam downlink operations, are currently under development.
The Skyplex payload has been built by Alenia Spazio in Rome, I

Begin
00:01:00:00 Copyright clearance for broadcast use
00:01:08:00 ESA Opening title
00:01:40:00 Title"" SKYPLEX News Index""
00:01:56:00 Launch of Ariane V99 (Hot Bird 3)
00:02:29:00 title: Digital Direct-To-Home Television
00:02:31:00 Eutelsat main control centre
00:02:43:00 3-D graphics of satellite broadcasting from geostationary orbit
00:03:06:00 Digital television (Canal Satellite Numerique) set-top box
00:03:21:00 Point of sale ""digital TV programme bouquet"" (TPS, Television par Satellite)
00:03:34:00 title: Assembly of Digital Bouquets
00:03:36:00 3-D graphics showing transport of data for assembly prior to uplink from ground station
00:04:04:20 Large TV uplink antenna at Fucino ground station, Italy
00:04:16:00 3-D graphics showing up- and downlink to/from geostationary satellite, breakdown of the signal into several programmes
00:04:49:00 title: The Advantage of SKYPLEX
00:04:50:15 Special effects sequence illustrating the assembly of the Skyplex payload into a Hot-Bird satellite
00: