SINGAPORE, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Singapore digital broadcast industry has formally entered the High-definition Television (HDTV)era as not only cable operators, broadcasters and Internet service providers have launched plans to start HDTV service, but TV set manufacturer and retailers have also indicated to jump into the HD fray.

    StarHub, Singapore's sole cable TV operator, launched its commercial HDTV service recently after six-month trial operation ending last December. That made Singapore the first country in South-east Asia launch HD programming commercially.

    With HDTV, StarHub said that viewers can expect up to four times greater picture clarity. The 16:9 screen ratio will also provide a panoramic view that can be up to 33 percent more than what they can enjoy on the standard 4:3 TV screen. As many HD programs contain Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, viewers with a Dolby Digital Home Theater system can also be treated to superior audio quality, not unlike the quality available at the cinemas.

    StarHub will offer viewers two HD channels: the National Geographic Channel HD and the Discovery HD. Viewers can also access a host of interactive applications enabled by Digital Cable service, such as the Onscreen TV Guide, Program Alert, Chat, FunZone games and Demand TV.

    To assess to the HD channels, subscribers of StarHub must have an HD television set and have to buy an HD set-top box for about 195 U.S. dollars, as well as to pay 10 U.S. dollars a month.

    Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), called the launch a "significant milestone for the media industry in Singapore."

    Rival broadcasters also try to capture a slice of the compelling business pie. Singapore's largest television and radio broadcaster Media Corp and the Internet service provider SingTel have announced plans for a commercial HDTV launch later this year.

    Newcomer M2B World has also announced plans to offer some of its video-on-demand channels in HDTV format this year.

    Broadcasters aside, TV set manufacturer Samsung and local electrical products retailer Audio house have also ridden on the wave and tapped into the opportunities presented by the burgeoning HD television set market.

    Samsung announced to cooperate with StarHub, National Geographic Channel Asia and Discovery Network Asia to extend HD content while the Audio house has from last year continually displayed and introduced the difference between HDTV and standard-definition TV in its stores to draw consumers, especially the middle and higher income groups.

    Apart from the HDTV deployments, other aspects of the city-state's digital broadcast industry are also "at an extremely dynamic and exciting phase" as Minister Lee described.

    New players have emerged in pay-TV market. For instance, M2B World was the first to offer a 55-channel Internet Protocol (IP) TV service on a video-on-demand license in June last year, MediaCorp launched online broadcast TV (MOBTV) offering its drama serials for download, and SingTel was granted an IPTV license by the Media Development Authority (MDA) recently to roll out commercial IPTV services.

    IPTV uses the IP network and communication protocols to deliver television programs to viewers via a broadband connection and a set-top box connected to their television.

    "These developments bode well for TV consumers and will contribute towards Singapore's vision of a vibrant and thriving media hub," said Minister Lee.

    In fact, these developments are parts of the city-state's ten-year master plan called Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015), with a vision to build Singapore into an intelligent nation and a global city powered by information communication.

    A survey released recently by MICA found that 78 percent of households in Singapore have at least one computer and 71 percent have Internet access. And online services and shopping are also on the rise.

    Broadcasting industry watchers said that broadcasting is benefiting tremendously from the ongoing digital technology revolution while the penetration of computers and broadband into Singaporean households facilitates the spread of cutting-edge digital broadcasting services.

    Ward Platt, general manager of Asia, National Geographic Channel told media he believed Singapore's HDTV market would speedup within six to twelve months.

    Internationally, countries such as the United States, Australia, the Republic of Korea and Japan have launched HDTV services since the mid-1990s, while China has committed to HDTV telecasts of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

    Industry watchers pointed out that the launch of HDTV was a good move but don't expect overnight results because there are still challenges.

    "It all boils down to the HDTV content in the end," National Geographic Channel's Platt said.

    The MDA, the country's broadcast regulator, expects 200 hours of Made-by-Singapore HD content this year, double last year's production.