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Hanaro Telecom launched the interactive service Hana TV on Monday, taking a significant step toward convergence between communications and broadcasting.
Hana TV is to offer a wide range of TV programs through Hanaro¡¯s broadband network rather than TV antennas or cable. Hanaro CEO Park Byung-mu says the new TV portal will serve ¡°as a new growth engine for our company as a broadband Internet operator.¡± KT, the nation¡¯s largest communication service provider, is to launch its own Internet protocol TV services early next year, which is tipped to bring about a sea change in the nation¡¯s broadcasting and telecom landscape.
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Actress Kim Jung-eun, the official model for Hana TV, demonstrates the TV portal service.
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Hana TV will offer movies, soap operas and educational programs through its broadband network, much like video-on-demand. Users have a set-top box installed at home that gives them access to high-definition TV programming at a time of their choosing. Hana TV offers several packages from W7,000 (US $1=W952) a month to W110,000. The drawback is that real-time broadcasts are not available yet due to government regulations. Hanaro Telecom partnered with some 50 content providers at home and abroad, including Disney, Sony Pictures, CJ Entertainment, the BBC, National Geographic and SBS to secure around 22,000 shows.
The launch of Hana TV will provide a push for IP TV services in Korea, which according to some pundits are hampered by red tape. When IP TV services become available more widely, users will be able to access data broadcasting as well as live broadcasts through their broadband network. ¡°The dividing line between broadcasting and communications is becoming blurred by digital technology,¡± says Ko Jung-min, a senior researcher at the Samsung Economic Research Institute. ¡°Those who offer the better content will be the winner in the market.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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