New offerings include leading content with advanced windows
Singapore, 19 August 2008 – StarHub Digital Cable customers can soon enjoy their favourite programmes anytime they desire. Come tomorrow, StarHub will launch its suite of true on-demand services. Named Demand TV, StarHub’s pay TV customers can look forward to the widest range of quality content that will be available upon their “demand”.
“We are confident that TV viewers in Singapore will be delighted with Demand TV,” said Mr Patrick Lim, StarHub’s Head of Cable TV Services. “Harnessing technology to place greater flexibility into the hands of our customers has always been an ongoing process for StarHub. Three years ago, we introduced Singapore’s first near Video-On-Demand service. In 2006, we rolled out Smart TV which enabled customers to record and playback ‘live’ TV and last year, we evolved the Digital Video Recorder deployed for Smart TV to today’s HubStation device which allows users to watch, talk and surf at the same time.”
To cater to a wide audience, StarHub’s Demand TV will offer two categories of on-demand services – Video-On-Demand (one-off purchases) and On Demand Channel (unlimited library access for a flat monthly subscription).
Video-On-Demand
With Video-On-Demand, StarHub Digital Cable customers can make one-off purchases of content and view the selected content whenever and as many times as they wish, over a limited time period. StarHub will offer both standalone single programmes as well as selections of TV series (choice of by episode or by series).
The single programmes include Barclays Premier League (BPL) matches, WWE Monthly Specials such as WWE SummerSlam 2008 and WWE Unforgiven, and movies covering Hollywood, Bollywood and Indonesian titles such as The Cleaner (rated ‘16’), The Vantage Point, Duyung, Chanting, Rama Rama Kya Hai Drama and Halla Bol.
For TV series, StarHub has scored a deal with major studio CBS to offer its hit TV series on Demand TV’s Video-On-Demand platform. CBS’ titles include CSI and Numb3rs, and from September, the latest seasons of these hugely popular series will be available to StarHub as early as 24 hours after their US releases. In addition, viewers can choose to catch up on past seasons of selected CBS series on Video-On-Demand.
Leveraging on its close ties with content partners around the world, StarHub has also secured attractive on-demand content for the Chinese-speaking viewers in Singapore. Fans of Asian dramas can look forward to new Taiwanese idol dramas and Korea dramas via Demand TV. In addition, they can also expect dramas by Hong Kong’s leading content provider TVB, which will be aired both in Mandarin and in the original Cantonese language. As an added benefit to customers, some TVB and Taiwanese dramas will be available on a complimentary basis.
On Demand Channel
On Demand Channel, another service of Demand TV, can be purchased on a monthly subscription basis. Subscription to each On Demand Channel will give customers a month's access to a library of programmes that they can watch whenever they like and as often as they wish.
From 20 August, five On Demand Channels will be available for subscription. Three of these channels - Disney Channel @ Play, VV Drama On Demand and TVBJ On Demand, will share similar types of programmes with the respective linear channels currently being offered by StarHub – Disney Channel, VV Drama and TVBJ, and a number of programmes such as Disney Channel's Original Movie starring the Jonas Brothers "Camp Rock" will first be available via Demand TV. VV Drama On Demand will offer dual sound in both Mandarin and Cantonese. StarHub Digital Customers who wish to subscribe to these three On Demand Channels must first subscribe to the respective linear channels.
Tomorrow, StarHub will also launch a brand new dialect channel - Ruyi Hokkien Channel On Demand, which will air dramas, variety shows and music programmes from Taiwan in the original Hokkien language. Ruyi Hokkien Channel On Demand is packaged by StarHub, and the latest and best titles have already been secured for exclusive telecast on the channel.
The fifth On Demand Channel that will be launched on 20 August is BPL On Demand. This will be added to StarHub’s existing Sports Group so that viewers subscribing to the group can have greater control over their viewing of BPL matches and at the same time, incur no additional cost. The introduction of BPL On Demand will bring the number of channels packaged under the Sports Group to 12, giving increased value for money to local sports fans.
StarHub will continue to enhance Demand TV offerings after August. HBO On Demand will soon be added to StarHub’s On Demand Channel line-up. When launched, customers subscribing to HBO Pak (HBO, HBO Family, HBO Hits and HBO Signature) can enjoy a selection of their favourite Hollywood blockbuster movies and HBO Original Series anytime they want to and whenever they want to, at no additional cost.
“The introduction of Demand TV has further augmented StarHub’s position as the top pay TV content provider in Singapore. We are on the constant lookout for ways to reward and give more benefits to our customers, and offering HBO On Demand and BPL On Demand to The HBO PAK and Sports Group customers respectively at no additional cost is another testimony of our efforts. In fact, we are the first operator in the region that is not charging a premium for HBO On Demand to The HBO PAK viewers!” added Mr Lim.
HubStation on rental model
To ensure that customers enjoy a good user experience through not only having content at their own convenience, but also the ability to pause, fast forward and rewind the programmes, StarHub’s Demand TV will be accessed via HubStation.
As of 1 October, StarHub will begin renting HubStations for $8.56 (with GST) monthly, rather than asking customers to purchase the device. StarHub Digital Cable Customers who wish to sample the HubStation for free for a limited trial period prior to October may visit the website for details. All StarHub Digital Cable customers must subscribe to at least three Basic Groups before taking on additional channels or packages.
