HiTV, the digital video broadcasting unit of Internet equipment-provider DVB (Holdings), has teamed up with Shanghai Cable TV and Shanghai Cable Network to launch near video-on-demand (NVOD) services to subscribers.
In a pilot scheme which began on Saturday, HiTV is providing NVOD services to about 100,000 households subscribing to cable television, said Bruno Wu Zheng, chairman and chief executive of DVB and HiTV.
Under the scheme, HiTV over the next three months will supply digital set-top boxes to subscribers to replace their analogue units, Mr Wu said.
Set up in November, HiTV had invested US$150 million so far, he said.
The company is raising at least US$10 million to fund the pilot scheme through private equity financing.
'We are targeting to increase the client base to 500,000 in two to three years time,' said Mr Wu, adding that 'money shouldn't be a problem'.
Controlled by Shanghai Radio, Film & TV Administration, Shanghai Cable TV has more than three million subscribers, making it the world's largest cable network, said Mr Wu, citing a survey by United States-based Cable TV Association.