Sky Cable goes Hi-Def

Sky Cable seems to be on a roll. After the 12 Mbps marketing-hype, the leading cable company in the Philippines is once again trying to make the first attempt in HD world.

Sky Cable recently entered the HD technology. The company launched two High-Definition programs in Cable TV that is set to deliver better viewing experience to its subscribers.

For now, the two channels in the HD line-up is Discovery Channel (164) and History Channel.

According to Malou Esparrago, Sky Cable's head of Postpaid marketing, this new technology targets households with LCD, Plasma or Projector TV sets.

The company shelled-out Php 6 Million in the deployment of this HD service.

Subscribers also need to be "digital-ready" SkyCable subscribers, or must own TVs with digital connections, to avail of the service so they can make the easy transition to HD. Programs will be beamed via satellite in both 1080i or 1080p formats, along with mpeg2 audio, basically giving a subscriber a clearer picture and superior sound.

The SkyCable HD box, which can only work with LCD or plasma screen TVs, as well as projector TVs, can carry both standard definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programs. Subscribers will pay a one-time installation fee of P5,000 for the HD box (which can also play music from a USB flash drive) and P499 a month for the two HD programs. Additional TVs in the household each require a separate HD box, but HD programs for succeeding TVs will only cost P152 a month.

Households which have already purchased the SkyCable DigiBox, which offers digital content, will pay less if they swap their existing Digibox with an HD box.

Oh Men, first of all, my TV is not LCD and though I am a Sky Cable subscriber, my subscription is not "digital-ready"