| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 2:39 pm Post subject: / "Now TV" Hong Kong |
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The "NowTV" service is actually run by the Hong Kong telephone company, PCCW, and is associated with their internet service Netvigator.com. If you want to get broadband internet connection from PCCW then they will offer you NowTV as well, typically bundled in at a very low monthly cost.
Although the service uses an entirely different technology to Sky or cable TV the result is pretty much the same. You pay a monthly fee, have a little box connected to your TV, and you get to watch lots of TV channels. A few channels are free, but all the good ones are paid and you select which ones you want.
There are a few extra twiddles available on this like being able to watch your channels on your mobile but the basics are not at all surprising.
Big names like HBO and BBC are available via this service, but not Sky or CNN I believe. Don't watch it much myself even though we have it at home.
Note that like all phone companies PCCW is keen to get you to sign up to long term contracts, so they'll give you a good deal but only if you commit to 24 months or more.
Recently their system was upgraded to HD and most people received new set top boxes, strangely I didn't and I'm not sure why, but only a few of the channels are transmitted in HD.
The remote control you get with the box has a "red button" and a few of the local channels have interactive shows with "press the button to vote" shows. NowTV make a few of these shows themselves.
Of course much of the material is in Chinese, but there is plenty in English as well. BBC and HBO as well as some kids channels come to mind. Do beware that the free Disney channel though is only a set of ads for Disneyland and not interest on it's own.
Hong Kong also has a cable tv network but that is a separate system, some satellite systems also include Hong kong but these seem increasingly unpopular, and I've never used them myself.
I hope that helps. |
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