IT was at last year’s Asia TV Forum that the announcement was made of MediaCorp’s intention to commercially launch a free-to-air HDTV channel before the end of 2007. This followed an extensive HDTV trial, initiated from June 2006 which saw 1000 households, community clubs and retail outlets experience HD programmes – including popular imported fare such as CSI and Smallville; MediaCorp’s locallyproduced productions; as well as co-productions with China.“Since we commenced our HDTV trials last year we have received many queries from the public about the official launch of HDTV on MediaCorp’s channels,” said Chang Long Jong, MediaCorp Deputy CEO (Television). “With HD5, Singapore viewers will experience better picture and sound quality while enjoying a greater choice of HD content on another (free-to-air) platform.”MediaCorp’s general entertainment Hi-Definitionchannel HD5 is a simulcast of Channel 5, MediaCorp TV’s English channel, and is already available on SingTel’s mioTV service. While much of the programming will be upconverted to HD format, about 30% of HD5’s content during primetime will be in native HD format.Acquired shows include Heroes, CSI Miami, Supernatural and Smallville. Local English-language productions include Lifestory 2, Makansutra and Lifeline 2. Movies include Fantastic Four, X2: X-Men United and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.Chang says the Studio’s inventory of HD programming is rising from 60-70 hours in the first quarter of this year, to around 350 hours, not just in English but including 100 hours of coproduction with China. In termsof production, Chang says 15- 20% of productions are currently in HD, within the percentage set to rise to 30% next year. And MediaCorp plans to broadcast all its channels in HD by 2012. As Singapore’s national broadcaster, MediaCorp’s move is also part of the Singapore Media 21 blueprint to speed up the deployment and adoption of HD technology. Chang says the Media Development Authority, apart from supporting the trial, is promoting HD content development. “We expect to have a sizeable library in up to two years’ time, beyond 2008 we are looking to have 300-400 hours of local and co-produced programming,” says Chang, adding that MediaCorp will be looking to export its HD programming as demand grows in the region.MediaCorp’s announcement of the November 11 commercial launch took place at the HD5 Lift Off event, held over the weekend of 13-14 October at Suntec City Convention Centre.It’s become apparent that no amount of telling the viewer that upgrading from SD to HD is as significant as the transition from monochrome to colour can be as effective as letting them experience HD close-up. Therefore rival equipment manufacturers are joining forces to promote HD – the HD5 Lift Off event bringing together Samsung, Panasonic, Bravia, LG, Sharp, Canon – and SingTel’s mioTV service alongside MediaCorp’s HD5.“HD events like this, apart from promoting HD itself, offer lots of opportunities for advertisers,” says Edwin Koh, Senior Vice President, Head TV Airtime Sales & Marketing, MediaCorp TV Singapore Pte Ltd. “It provides integration between on-air and on-theground,” says Koh – himself a former marketing chief at Samsung. “The consumer has to experience HD in real life, so we are offering both on-air education and on-ground experience,” he says. “According to AdEx figures, TV is still dominant in terms of overall media consumption, but advertisers are looking at different ways of advertising on, or around, TV. For example Samsung is presenting CSI, while Sony has produced interstitials to educate audiences about HD.” Koh points to the importance of the Beijing Olympics, which apart from being broadcast in SD on MediaCorp’s channels 5 and 8 will, in likelihood, be simulcast on HD5. As to whether many TVC’s (TV commercials) are being shot in High-Definition, Koh says there are not many as yet.Offering the marketer’s perspective is Irene Ng, Director Strategic Marketing, SET Division, Samsung Asia Pte Ltd. “All of our TVC’s are shot in HD and we’re also the worldwide sponsor of the Beijing Olympic Games. We’re supporting MediaCorp via our sponsorship of CSI, as well as educating consumers about the content that’s available in HD.” Hg says Samsung is also very active with StarHub, which offers a subscription-based HDTV service, as well as Discovery and National Geographic – both of which offer HD channels in the region and globally.Ng explains that HD-ready accounts for around 90% of television sets in the current Samsung product portfolio, while 50% of Samsung TV sets are full HD. And she says the rate of growth in these rations has been exponential. “In February 2008, around the launch of StarHub’s HDTV service, around 20% of TV sets sold were in full HD. This rose to 55% as of early October, and as of November 11’s HD5 commercial launch we expect70% of TV sets sold to be HD sets,” she says.But, crucially, what is the entry cost to the Singapore consumer to watch HD5?Ng says the cost of HD sets has come down to around S$2,000 (US$1,380). According to MediaCorp guidelines, viewers will also need to purchase an HD DVB-T MPEG-4 AVC set-top box, typically bundled with the indoor antenna for a package price of approximately S$560 (US$386). Totalling around US$1,766, it will be interesting to see whether this proves too high a price to pay for ‘free-to-air’ HD TV.

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