StarHub TV facts for kids
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| Type | IPTV |
|---|---|
| Country | Singapore |
| First air date | 11 July 1991 |
| Broadcast area | Singapore |
| Owner | StarHub |
| Key people | Tan Tong Hai (CEO) |
| Former names | Singapore Cable Vision (1991 – 2002) |
StarHub TV is a pay TV service in Singapore. It's offered by StarHub, a big company in Singapore. StarHub TV became part of StarHub in 2001 when StarHub bought a company called Singapore Cable Vision (SCV). For a while, StarHub TV was the only pay TV service in Singapore, until another service called Singtel TV (formerly mio TV) started in 2007.
StarHub TV uses modern technology to deliver its channels. It uses fiber optic cables, which are super fast, and also a wireless system called Digital Terrestrial Television.
Contents
StarHub TV's Journey
Early Ideas for Cable TV
The idea of cable TV in Singapore started a long time ago, in 1978. Companies like Rediffusion Singapore wanted to offer cable services, especially for hotels. The government wanted to make sure there was no advertising on these channels at first. Building the network was a big project, and it took a lot of planning and studies.
However, hotels weren't very interested at first because they didn't understand how it worked, and it cost a lot to set up. So, the plans for cable TV were delayed for a while.
Singapore Cable Vision Begins
In 1991, things started moving again. A company called Singapore Cable Vision (SCV) was given a special license on July 11, 1991. Their job was to build a cable network across the whole country and offer pay TV channels. SCV also had to make sure that regular free TV channels were available through their cable system.
SCV launched its first channel, NewsVision, on April 2, 1992. Two more channels, VarietyVision and MovieVision, followed soon after on May 13, 1992. These early channels were sent out using a special signal, and subscribers paid a fee to watch them. SCV also started showing commercials on some of its channels.
Building the Cable Network
By 1993, the government announced big plans for cable TV. They wanted to have many more channels by 1995 and even more by 1998. The goal was to connect almost all homes in Singapore to the cable service.
Building the cable network was a huge task. It started in October 1994 in an area called Tampines. The plan was to connect the entire island over several years. SCV also started signing deals with many international channels like Asia Business News, BBC World, CNN International, Discovery Channel, and ESPN. They even planned for interactive services like shopping from home!
SCV also thought about offering internet services through their cables. They ordered special boxes called decoders that would help parents control what their children watched and how long they watched TV.
Cable Service Launches!
On June 23, 1995, SCV officially launched its cable service in Tampines. It reached 15,000 homes, and SCV hoped to connect 100,000 homes by the end of that year. The service offered over 25 channels, grouped into different packages:
- Basic tier: Included free channels and popular specialty channels like news, entertainment, and sports.
- International tier: Had channels from other countries.
- Premium tier: Offered special channels like a new version of VarietyVision.
Later, more channels were added, including HBO and Zee TV. SCV also started working on offering internet services through its cable network.
In 1997, SCV launched its own sports channel, Football Channel, showing English football games. By 1999, SCV had finished building its big network across Singapore. This made pay TV a popular choice for entertainment, alongside movies and DVDs. More channels like Japan Entertainment Television, National Geographic, and Nickelodeon were added around this time.
Sometimes, channels had to change their schedule or even be removed due to content rules or copyright issues. For example, some Malaysian channels had to adjust their broadcast times.
StarHub TV Today
In 2002, Singapore Cable Vision officially became part of StarHub. In 2007, it was renamed StarHub TV, which is its name today.
StarHub TV was the first in Southeast Asia to offer high-definition (HD) channels, starting on January 18, 2007, with channels like Discovery HD. They also started showing English Premier League games in HD.
In 2009, StarHub TV began changing its service from older analogue signals to newer digital ones. This meant clearer pictures and more channels. In 2010, they changed all channel numbers to a new three-digit system, making them easier to remember and organize by type.
Sometimes, StarHub TV changes what sports events or channels it shows due to new agreements. For example, they stopped showing the English Premier League for a few years but later brought back some sports channels.
StarHub TV also started offering free previews of channels during holidays, letting everyone enjoy a wider variety of shows for a short time. Over the years, some channels have left StarHub TV to make way for new and exciting ones.
In 2013, StarHub TV began moving to a new technology called fibre-optic IPTV. This is an even more advanced way to deliver TV using super-fast internet cables. By September 30, 2019, StarHub completed this big move, and all cable TV services switched over to the new fibre network.
StarHub's Own Channels
StarHub has created some of its own channels:
- Hub Sports
- VV Drama
Past Channels
Some channels that StarHub (or SCV) used to have include:
- NewsVision
- MovieVision
- Eureka Learning Channel
