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) |
Star Hub TV is a special TV service in Singapore that you pay for. It's offered by a company called StarHub. For a long time, StarHub TV was the only company offering this kind of paid TV service in Singapore. That changed in 2007 when another company, Singtel, launched its own TV service called mio TV (now Singtel TV).
StarHub TV uses modern technology to bring shows to your home. It uses super-fast optical fiber cables. They also offer TV through a wireless system called Digital Terrestrial Television.
Contents
The Story of StarHub TV
How Cable TV Started in Singapore
The idea for cable TV in Singapore began in 1991. Back then, the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation wanted to set up a cable network. A company from the US, Continental Cablevision, looked into how possible it would be. They saw that many homes in Singapore had TVs, which was a good sign.
Another company, part of the Oversea Chinese Banking Corporation, also studied the market. They wanted to see if people would be interested in cable TV. After these studies, the government gave the green light. On July 11, 1991, a company called Singapore Cable Vision (SCV) got a special license. Their job was to build a TV network across the whole country. They also had to make sure that regular, free TV channels reached homes through their cables.
Early Channels and Growth
SCV launched its first channel, NewsVision, on April 2, 1992. Two more channels, VarietyVision and MovieVision, followed soon after. NewsVision even got the rights to show news from CNN International.
At first, you needed a special box to watch these channels. The price for three channels was around $50. This was similar to what other countries charged for their new cable TV services. SCV also decided to show commercials on its new channels. This helped them earn money.
SCV quickly saw a lot of interest from people. They launched MovieVision and VarietyVision earlier than planned, on May 13, 1992. MovieVision showed movies for 12 hours a day. VarietyVision showed Chinese programs for 18 hours a day.
Expanding Across Singapore
By 1995, SCV's cable service reached many homes. They launched in Tampines, connecting 15,000 homes. They planned to connect 100,000 homes by the end of 1995. The whole project to lay cables across Singapore cost about $500 million.
In 1995, SCV offered over 25 channels. These channels were grouped into different packages. By 1996, SCV had over 7,000 subscribers. They kept adding new channels, like Phoenix Chinese Channel in 1996. Cinemax and TV5 were added in 1997.
By 1999, SCV finished building its huge network. Because of this big effort, SCV was the only company allowed to offer pay-TV until 2002. People in Singapore started to enjoy pay-TV as a new way to watch movies and shows.
Becoming StarHub TV
In 2002, StarHub officially took over Singapore Cable Vision. The service kept the SCV name for a while. Then, in 2007, it was renamed to StarHub TV, which is its name today.
In 2009, StarHub announced a big change. They would switch from old-style analogue TV to newer digital TV. This meant people needed digital set-top boxes. By 2010, StarHub TV also changed its channel numbers. They made them three digits long, which made them easier to remember. Channels were also grouped by type, like movies or news.
Changes in Channels and Sports
StarHub TV has seen many changes over the years. For example, in 2010, they stopped showing the Barclays English Premier League football matches. They also stopped carrying channels like ESPN and STAR Sports for a few years. However, these sports channels returned to StarHub TV in 2012. StarHub TV also got the rights to show the UEFA Champions League football matches.
A unique channel called RediGold, from Rediffusion Singapore, was added in 2010. It was the first FM radio channel to be on cable TV. But it stopped broadcasting in 2012 because fewer people were listening. Rediffusion later returned, but only online.
Since 2010, StarHub TV often offers free previews of channels. These usually happen during school holidays or other major public holidays. This lets everyone enjoy more shows for a short time. Over time, some channels left StarHub TV to make way for new ones.
Moving to Fibre Optics
On March 18, 2013, StarHub launched its first TV service using fibre-optic cables. This was another big step in how TV signals are sent. This new service became available to homes in April 2015.
In 2018, StarHub announced that the old cable TV service would stop. Everyone needed to switch to the newer fibre-optic network. This change was completed on September 30, 2019. Now, all StarHub TV services use the advanced fibre network.
