There's nothing here that wasn't apparent already, but SES ASTRA is just now getting around to boasting about a dozen HD channels that it's hosting to broadcast the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ready for an exhaustive list? The channels broadcasting the Olympics in HD include for the UK, BBC HD, for France, France 2 HD and CANAL+ HD, for Germany, ANIXE HD, for Poland, TVP HD, for the Slovak Republic, STV3, for the Netherlands, 1 HD, for Belgium een HD, for Spain, TELEDEPORTE HD, for Sweden, Viasat HD and SVT HD and for Austria, ORF HD. So yeah, if you somehow missed this for the first week of the Games, at least you're clued in now.

[Image courtesy of Beijing 2008]

Heads up, international HD mavens. A kind tipster just alerted us to one TVP HD, a channel that just started broadcasting Olympics coverage and will continue to throughout the 2008 Games. After the spectacle has concluded, it will reportedly morph into a station much like BBC HD. Currently, the channel is available via digital cable in Poland on carriers like Multimedia Polska, Aster and a few other smaller companies that provide HD receivers. We're also told that it'll launch shortly on UPC Cable, ITI's digital satellite platform N and (in trial form) via DVB-T. In somewhat related news, the European version of MTV HD just starting testing yesterday on the Hot Bird satellite, with an expected go-live date sometime in September.

[Thanks, Arsenal]

News flash: Poland has gone absolutely berserk here lately, with a slew of carriers introducing HD channels / services all within the last few weeks. Keeping the trend alive is Telekomunikacja Polska S.A., which we'll refer to from here on out as TP. Judging by local reports and the image above, said telco is currently testing out HD IPTV. As you can see, an HD set-top-box is connected to an ADSL router in order to beam Filmbox HD to the set. Unfortunately, a go-live date is still unknown, and the biggest hurdle yet to be overcome is the purported dearth of ADSL availability (or possibly just affordability) in the region. Baby steps, baby steps.

[Thanks, Arsenal]

Would you look at that? Poland nets another. Amidst the flurry of high-def news (not to mention the launch of Engadget's Polish branch) originating in Poland comes word that yet another provider is vying for local business, and it's using HD as a primary selling point. IPTV carrier Inotel has just launched a tier that contains National Geographic HD and Polsat Sport HD to complement the 41 basic channels and host of other packages. Reportedly, the stations are now live in Poznan and other parts of the Wielkopolska region, though there's no word on future expansion.

The high-definition war just gets crazier by the day over in Poland, with no fewer than four announcements from the nation within the last month. Just weeks / hours after Cyfra+ and Aster pledged to boost their respective HD lineups, along comes Vectra to make things even more interesting. The cable carrier has announced that it will be offering up seven high-def channels, including TVN HD, Eurosport HD, Polsat Sport HD, Nat Geo HD, Luxe TV HD, Canal+ Sport HD and Canal+ Film HD. It should be noted that the networks require a decoder to receive, but with all this newfound competition, we're hoping that those costly fees associated with such things begin to sink (or vanish completely).

There's been quite a bit of HD action in Poland of late, but all has been quiet on the Aster front -- until now. The nation's fourth largest operator has just announced a trio of packages that will deliver up to seven high-definition channels to those who cough up the requisite coin. For starters, we've got the HDPack (20 Polish złoty; $9.38 per month), which contains TVN HD, Discovery HD, History HD, Eurosport HD and Luxe TV HD. Next up is Discovery HD all by its lonesome and the Canal+ HD tier, which includes Canal+ Sport HD and Canal+ Film HD. Each of those sets will demand 6 Polish złoty ($2.82) per month. For anyone parked in Warsaw, chime in and let us know how the new offerings look.

Hold onto your trousers folks, as ITI Neovision's quizzically named N is bringing HD porn to Polish subscribers anytime they want. The service, which is thought to be the first of its kind in Europe, enables customers to select, purchase and view 1080i XXX-rated titles on-demand. According to a local, the first two flicks to surface are Sensual Dolls and Born To Be Sexy, both of which sound like surefire winners if that's what you're into. No word on how pricey each selection will be, but feel free to test the service out and let us know how it shapes up if you're so bold.

[Thanks, Arsenal]

Just weeks after hearing that Poland's Cyfra+ would be acquiring Eurosport HD in late May comes word that the satellite provider will likely be raising its rates in the near future. Based on a local report, customers will have to pay more (exact bumps were undisclosed) for the Basic, Komfort and Prestige packages starting in June, though the fee for National Geographic HD would simultaneously fall. Thankfully, the price hike isn't for naught, as it's planning to add in HBO HD (along with several others later in the year) and its very own VOD service to boot. Make that HD VOD and we're really on to something.

Relatively speaking, there's been quite a lot of HD action on the international front of late, and we're pleased to see that History (as it's known these days) will be taking its content to Central Europe. The channel will be debuting in both SD and HD in Poland and Hungary, and while Toya and UPC Polska will offer the standard-def feed in the former nation, Aster City will be delivering both feeds; in Hungary, UPC Hungary will host the SD version while T-Kabel broadcasts both. Best of all, it sounds as if History may cross over into neighboring countries as well in the upcoming months, so keep a close on your EPG if your carrier hasn't jumped in just yet.

We already knew that Eurosport HD would be making the rounds in various parts of Europe, but now we've got confirmation that the forthcoming high-def version will also be carried in Poland. Cyfra+ (a Polish digital satellite platform) will begin offering the channel as soon as it goes live on May 25th. The network will join Canal+ Film HD, Canal+ Sport HD and National Geographic HD as the only HD stations available on said carrier, though Eurosport HD will purportedly cost around €1.44 ($2.24) per month to enjoy.

[Via Broadband TV News]

While we're overjoyed to hear that some of our own are receiving additional HD programming out of the blue, we can't help but extend our congratulations to Poland on locking down yet another HD offering. The country's private television broadcaster, ITI Group, it teaming up with MGM Studios to launch an HD version of the MGM Movie Channel on the nation's "N" direct-to-home satellite television platform. Furthermore, this is MGM's first dedicated channel to be delivered in high definition, and will reportedly cover a smorgasbord of genres and eras while including films like "Raging Bull, Midnight Cowboy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Coming Home, Network and The Manchurian Candidate." Additionally, Poland's leading commercial television network (TVN) , as well as "third party cable operators" will be able to offer the new channel to those without "N." If all goes as planned, the folks in Poland can be enjoying their very own HD movie channel by the year's end.

[Thanks, Arsenal]

It brings a smile to our face when a new city gets HDTV, but when a whole country launches another HDTV service, it warms our hearts in a special way. Poland's private broadcaster, ITI Group, is going to launch another way for its native people to receive glorious HDTV. The service creatively called "N" (most of lost something in the translation) is going to offer subscribers a wide range of programming that must be lacking in Polish HDTV offerings. There are some analysts that are wondering if the country needs another HDTV provider but we say, the more the merrier.