Number of HD channels on StarHub will be increased to four
Singapore , 17 June 2008 – MediaCorp, Singapore’s national free-to-air TV operator and StarHub, Singapore’s largest pay TV operator have announced their latest collaboration. MediaCorp’s High Definition (HD) TV channel - HD5 - will be carried on StarHub’s cable television platform in July 2008, signalling yet another step forward in the growth of HD TV services in the city state.
HD5, a simulcast of MediaCorp TV’s Channel 5, is the only free-to-air HD channel in Singapore. Since its launch in November last year, HD5 has won over audiences with its telecast of blockbuster movies (e.g. Fantastic Four, Van Helsing, Mr & Mrs Smith, the Indiana Jones trilogy, Alien vs Predator); international drama series (Heroes, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Pushing Daisies, Ghost Whisperer, CSI Miami) and local English productions (Incredible Tales, MakanSutra Raw, Behind Closed Doors).
HD5 will be available at no additional cost on Channel 300 to all StarHub Digital Cable customers who have an HD-ready TV set and StarHub’s HD set-top box. As at end March this year, there were about 508,000 households subscribing to StarHub Digital Cable.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our cable TV customers easy access to HD5. StarHub was the first operator in Southeast Asia to offer commercial HDTV services. Our tagline for HD services from Day One was See more, Hear more, Feel more. Indeed, with education, lifestyle, sports and soon English entertainment in HD, our customers can truly immerse themselves in the superior audio and visual HD experience,” says Mr Terry Clontz, Chief Executive Officer, StarHub.
“With HD5 available to StarHub Digital Cable subscribers, viewers will now have more choices to watch HD5 across several platforms. I am also pleased to say that from 8 to 24 August 2008, HD5 will carry a daily telecast of 16 hours of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, in true HD, from 9am to 1am – live and recorded,” says Mr Lucas Chow, Chief Executive Officer, MediaCorp.
Says Dr Christopher Chia, Chief Executive Officer, Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA): “It has only been two years since we introduced HDTV into Singapore with StarHub and MediaCorp rolling out the first HDTV trials. We are very glad that the superior media experience made possible by HDTV services has become a way of life for many local viewers so quickly. This partnership between StarHub and MediaCorp is a milestone in the deployment of HDTV in Singapore and enables HDTV services to be enjoyed by more consumers in Singapore.”
With the upcoming introduction of HD5 on StarHub’s cable TV platform, the number of HD channels carried by StarHub will be increased to four. In addition to NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL HD (StarHub Channel 301), Discovery HD (StarHub Channel 302), HD SHOWCASE (StarHub Channel 303) and HD5, StarHub is also offering a HD channel dedicated to the UEFA EURO 2008™ matches in June 2008.
Existing StarHub Digital Cable customers who wish to upgrade to an HD set-top box can call 1633, while new customers can call 1630 to take on a StarHub Digital Cable package.
